FCC adopts rules for upper C-band auction, sets stage for 440 MHz ‘super band’

The Federal Communications Commission voted during its July 2026 meeting to auction 160 megahertz of upper C-band spectrum, exceeding by 60% the minimum Congress required and setting a July 2027 deadline for what is expected to be a multibillion-dollar sale of mid-band airwaves.

“America’s leadership in wireless is back,” FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said at the commission’s July open meeting. “After years of falling behind in no new spectrum auctions, President Trump and Congress restored the FCC spectrum auction authority in the One Big Beautiful Bill, and established an aggressive spectrum pipeline.”

FCC sets July 22 vote on Upper C-Band auction, giving broadcasters a firm timeline

The order reallocates the 3.98-4.14 GHz band for terrestrial wireless use in the contiguous United States, creating 3,248 new flexible-use licenses. Combined with the lower C-band spectrum already auctioned during President Trump’s first term, the decision produces a contiguous 440-megahertz block spanning 3.7 to 4.14 GHz, what the commission is calling a “super band” of mid-band spectrum suited for 5G and future wireless services.

The lower C-band auction in 2021 generated roughly $81 billion in gross proceeds, with Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile acquiring the majority of licenses. The FCC said it expects the upper C-band sale to raise “tens of billions of dollars” for the U.S. Treasury.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed by President Trump in 2025, restored the FCC’s general spectrum auction authority and directed the commission to complete a system of competitive bidding for at least 100 megahertz of upper C-band spectrum by July 4, 2027. The FCC issued a notice of proposed rulemaking in November 2025 and adopted final rules Tuesday, a timeline Carr described as unprecedented.

“We went on a matter of months from legislation to NPRM, now order,” Carr said during a post-meeting press conference. “We’re now on track to complete an auction in less than 12 months from now.”

The item passed 3-0 on adoption, though Commissioner Anna Gomez approved in part and dissented in part over the commission’s decision not to hold a tribal licensing window before the auction.

Satellite transition and clearing timeline

The order establishes a mandatory framework for relocating incumbent fixed satellite service operators out of the reconfigured portion of the band. Winning bidders will be able to begin wireless operations in the top 75 markets by Dec. 31, 2030, after those markets are cleared of satellite incumbents by Dec. 30. Remaining markets must be cleared by June 30, 2031, with wireless service eligible to begin July 1.

Advertisement

The five incumbent space station operators identified in the order are Empresa, Eutelsat, Hispasat, SES and Telesat.

New licensees will be required to reimburse eligible operators for reasonable transition costs, and the commission will offer incentive payments to operators that meet the clearing deadlines. Total incentive payments to satellite operators will be less in aggregate than those paid after the lower C-band auction, but the FCC described them as roughly proportional given the smaller amount of spectrum being cleared.

Incumbent earth station operators, a group that includes broadcasters, cable operators and other satellite-reliant users, will have the option of selecting either cost reimbursement or a lump sum payment on a site-by-site basis.

Aircraft radio altimeters, which operate in the adjacent 4.2-4.4 GHz band, were a central concern in the rulemaking. The FCC adopted out-of-band emission limits, antenna height restrictions and base station power limits intended to protect altimeter operations, and aligned its clearing timeline with the Federal Aviation Administration’s forthcoming radio altimeter retrofit requirements.

Gomez’s partial dissent centered on the commission’s refusal to conduct a tribal licensing window before the auction. She cited requests from the Navajo Nation, the Shoshone Bannock Tribes, the Tohono O’odham Utility Authority, the National Coalition of Large Tribes and other tribal entities.

What comes next

FCC staff will seek public comment on auction procedures in the coming days.

Eligible space station operators must file initial transition plans by Nov. 5, 2026. A clearinghouse selection committee must convene within 60 days after the order’s publication in the Federal Register and identify a candidate by Dec. 15.

Carr signaled additional spectrum auctions beyond the upper C-band, including a sale in the 2.7 GHz band and other proceedings the commission aims to complete in 2028.

“We just did one big one. Next summer, 2.7 in ’28, and then also a number of additional auctions in ’28 as well,” Carr said. “So we’re looking forward to the billions of dollars of investment coming from wireless providers and others that want to bid there.”

Commissioner Olivia Trusty, who voted to approve, framed the decision as foundational for technologies beyond 5G.

“This item positions the FCC to conduct the auction of upper C-band spectrum on an aggressive timeline while also establishing a clear and predictable process for transitioning incumbent satellite operators out of the band,” Trusty said. She added that the auction “will drive increased investment in 5G today and lay the foundation for the 6G ecosystem of tomorrow.”

Advertisement