Auctions

FCC Grants Auction 108 Licenses

The Federal Communications Commission granted licenses to seven of the smaller winning bidders in the 2.5 GHz auction, which was completed in August 2023.

FCC’s spectrum auction authority nears March expiration

The top Republican and Democrat on the House Commerce Committee are working to avert a lapse, in March 2023, of the Federal Communications Commission’s authority to auction spectrum as Congress seeks a more lasting plan that could pay for a number of telecommunications priorities.  Auctions of the spectrum have been a financial boon for the government.

Talking About Things We Don’t Talk About

The Federal Communications Commission is an important institution. It oversees a huge input to our information economy: Spectrum. Fortunately, three decades ago, we developed a method for allocating spectrum that has garnered bipartisan praise, been copied around the world, underlaid two Nobel prizes, and is arguably the most successful communications policy innovation ever. Unfortunately, Congress can’t decide how to reauthorize that auction authority. Congressional dysfunction? Alas, not weird. The stakes are high: billions in investment capital, 10x more in economic impact.

Bipartisan House Commerce Committee Leaders Commend Passage of Bipartisan FCC Auction Authority Bill

House Commerce Committee leadership commended the passage on February 28th, 2023 on the House floor of H.R. 1108, a bill to extend the Federal Communication Commission auction authority deadline to May 19, 2023. The bill was sponsored by Reps. Cathy Rodgers (R-WA) and Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ). “Spectrum policy is national security policy.

Filling Gaps in US Spectrum Allocation: Reforms for Collaborative Management

With the rapid rise of wireless technology, the demand for access to the spectrum has increased in recent years. However, there are critical and interrelated gaps and failures in the process and policies used for efficiently allocating the spectrum in the US. Key takeaways from an analysis on this issue include the following:

Building on Uncle Sam’s “Beachfront” Spectrum: Six Ways to Align Incentives to Make Better Use of the Airwaves

The federal government’s use of spectrum dates back to the beginning when radio frequencies were used to communicate—and so does the policy question of how to apportion spectrum access between government and private uses. The federal government has important missions that require the use of the electromagnetic spectrum. But federal spectrum lacks market discipline and profit motives, so it does not tend toward efficient use. Six proposals to improve upon this include the following:

NTIA to develop national spectrum strategy in 2023

Alan Davidson, head of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, talked about the agency’s plan to advance open Radio Access Networks (open RAN).

FCC Grants Auction 108 Licenses for the 2.5 GHz Band

The Federal Communications Commission's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau announces the grant of four long-form applications and the issuance of 12 licenses for Auction 108. On August 29, 2022, the FCC completed the auction of new flexible-use geographic overlay licenses in the (2.5 GHz) band and announced the results of that auction on September 1, 2022.

Spending Bill Lacks Money for FCC Rip-and-Replace Program

A bill that would free up more money for the Federal Communications Commission suspect tech rip-and-replace program — mandated by Congress — did not make it into the $1.7 trillion must-pass omnibus appropriations bill, according to an unhappy Competitive Carriers Association.

Congress kicks the can on wireless, telecommunications issues as 2022 ends

Congress is again kicking the can down the road on several issues important to the US telecommunications industry. A 4,155-page omnibus spending package bill that Congress unveiled is expected to pass in order to keep the government operating. But Congress punted on a long-term extension of the Federal Communications Commission’s auction authority, covering the shortfall for rip and replace funding, and consideration of more mid-band spectrum for wireless use. One tiny blurb of the bill was devoted to the FCC’s