The C-Band Alliance has filed a new proposal with the FCC in the US, outlining how it would share proceeds from auctioning its spectrum with the US treasury and contribute to building a rural 5G network. The alliance includes satellite operators SES, Intelsat and Telesat, who are looking to monetise part of their C band spectrum in a sale to mobile operators.
The latest proposal states that if the FCC adopts the CBA plan, the CBA commits to pay a portion of net proceeds from the auction to the state, based on "a progressive formula which ranges from 30 to 75 percent of proceeds depending on the outcome of the auction". The net proceeds would be after the costs of clearing the 300 MHz of spectrum the satellite operators want to put up for sale, as well as any tax on their proceeds.
To further sweeten its offer, the CBA said it started talks with members of Congress to develop a proposal to fund the deployment of an open access 5G network for rural broadband. They could contribute spectrum as well as capital to setting up the wireless network.
