FCC finally gets its auction authority back

The Federal Communications Commission regained its ability to hold spectrum auctions when President Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill into law on July 4. The FCC’s auction authority had lapsed since March 2023. Reinstating the FCC auction authority wasn’t the only good news for wireless. The law calls for the government to identify at least 800 megahertz of spectrum to be auctioned between the 1.3 gigahertz (GHz) to 10.5 GHz range, with exceptions for the 3.1-3.45 GHz and 7.4-8.4 GHz bands that are occupied by military services. Of course, the organization representing the Big 3 wireless carriers was elated over the passage of the legislation, even though it apparently removes the possibility for the industry to get hold of the lower 3 GHz band that it so desired for many years. CTIA President and CEO Ajit Pai thanked Trump for his “extraordinary leadership and vision, particularly on wireless issues, during this process.”