Big wireless carriers lead FCC's mid-band spectrum auction applications

The Federal Communications Commission released a roster of applicants for participation in the next US mid-band spectrum auction. Auction 110, set to start October 5, is offering up to 4,060 flexible-use licenses with 100-megahertz in the 3.45-3.55 GHz range across the contiguous US. No bidder can win more than 40-megahertz of spectrum. According to the FCC's application list, 26 applications are completed and 16 remain incomplete, for a total of 42 potential bidders. AT&T, T-Mobile and US Cellular are among those with completed applications, while Verizon is listed as incomplete, and Dish is also in the mix. Much of the competition at the next mid-band spectrum auction will be concentrated among wireless carriers, which is "as expected" according to New Street analyst Johnathan Chaplin. 3.45 GHz spectrum up for auction is in the mid-band range seen as key for 5G by offering a mix of coverage and capacity, and sits nearby the 3.7 GHz C-band and the shared 3.5 GHz Citizen Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) band.