The clock phase of the C-band auction has ended.
The highest amount ever raised by auction in the US: On 15 January 2021, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) ended the ‘clock phase’ of the 3.7–3.98GHz band auction (the ‘C-band’). After 97 rounds of bidding, the auction raised a total of $80.9bn – the highest amount ever recorded in a spectrum auction in the US.
What was on offer? A total of 5,684 spectrum lots across 280MHz were available, and all were awarded. The next phase will assign frequency-specific lots to winning bidders.
C-band spectrum has been highly sought after: The industry has seen this auction as the biggest opportunity to secure high-quality mid-band spectrum. The FCC faced challenges in moving satellite services out of the band, and rejected satellite operators’ initial offer to carry out the auction themselves and devolve $8bn to the Treasury if the spectrum price exceeded $0.35/MHz. Under the rules approved by the FCC, the winners of the C-band auction will have to make ‘relocation payments’ to satellite providers still occupying the band, estimated to be around $13bn.
