The US Federal Communications Commission has raised USD 21.8 billion in its latest mobile spectrum auction. A total 4,041 of the 4,060 licences on offer in the 3.45-3.55 GHz band were acquired, opening up key mid-band spectrum for expanding 5G services.
The result makes Auction 110 among the highest grossing auctions in FCC history. The gross proceeds during the clock phase of the auction surpassed the reserve price, which included the costs for relocating government users currently in the frequency band.
The spectrum licences are divided into 10-megahertz blocks licensed by geographic areas known as Partial Economic Areas (PEAs). Licence winners are expected to operate within a cooperative sharing framework that will enable commercial use by an array of service providers, while also ensuring coexistence with federal incumbents where and when they require continued access to the band.
The winning bidders will now have the opportunity to bid for frequency-specific licences in the assignment phase of Auction 110. After that phase, more details on the winning bidders will be announced.
