Eutelsat announced it has withdrawn from the C-Band Alliance, the group set up by satellite operators to lobby for preserving their access to C band spectrum in the US. Eutelsat said it wants to take "a direct active part in the discussions on C-band clearing and repurposing".
The C-Band Alliance was formed in October last year, along with Intelsat, SES and Telesat. They proposed handling the clearance of up to 200 MHz spectrum in the so-called C band for use by 5G mobile services. The satellite operators said they would voluntarily release part of the spectrum in the 3.7-4.2 GHz range, in exchange for compensation from mobile operators for the costs of clearing the frequencies.
However, mobile operators are urging the FCC to make more of the in total 500 MHz in the mid-band range available for supporting their 5G roll-outs. Public interest groups also prefer to see an auction of the spectrum, rather than an industry swap agreement. The FCC is expected to take a decision on the matter later this year.
The C-Band Alliance issued a statement in response to Eutelsat's decision, saying its plans would not change as a result. The remaining members of the CBA, which represent around 95 percent of the affected revenues in the US C-band market, said they are "aligned and committed to the process of engaging with the FCC on the proposal of rapidly clearing C-band spectrum to support the deployment of 5G services in the US".
