The US government has agreed to free up another 100 MHz of key mid-band spectrum for 5G services. The White House announced that the Department of Defense will vacate the 3.45-3.55 GHz range so the frequencies can be used for mobile services.
This adds to the 3.55-3.65 GHz range currently under auction and the 3.7-3.8 GHz band planned to be sold in December. The FCC said the latest announcement means that a total of 530 MHz in the range 3.45-3.98 GHz is set for release for 5G.
The regulator said it would move quickly to adopt service rules for the 3.45 GHz band and hold an auction for the frequencies. The DoD said the spectrum would likely carry similar terms to the AWS-3 band, where for the most part the spectrum will be available for commercial use without limits, while simultaneously minimizing impact to defense operations.
