The U.S. auction of C-Band spectrum for 5G raised $80.9 billion, the highest grossing spectrum auction and nearly double the prior record, according to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which announced on Friday that the clock phase of the auction had completed for all 5,684 spectrum blocks between 3.7 and 3.98 GHz.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said, “This historic FCC auction is already a record-breaking success. Bidders have won all of the 5,684 spectrum blocks that were up for bid. And gross proceeds have exceeded $80.9 billion, shattering the prior FCC auction record of $44.9 billion.”
The clock phase of the auction (number 107) consisted of a series of timed rounds when bidders competed for generic license blocks. The winners from the clock phase will now move to the assignment phase, where they will bid for licenses for specific frequencies. The FCC said it will release a public notice announcing details regarding the assignment phase, including the start date and time for bidding.
“The FCC confronted a host of technical, legal, practical, and political challenges in structuring this auction. It would have been easy to delay. But we rightly pushed ahead and overcame every one of those obstacles. As a result, we significantly advanced United States leadership in 5G and have enabled America’s wireless consumers to more quickly benefit from 5G services,” said Pai.
More information about Auction 107 is available at the FCC website: www.fcc.gov/auction/107.