Auctions

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration applauded the release of the Office of Management and Budget Memorandum-26-19, which will drastically improve the process for repurposing federal spectrum for 6G—a key initiative for NTIA as it conducts an unprecedented number of band studies to relocate federal spectrum for commercial use. OMB Memo-26-19 rescinds guidance that prevented NTIA and the Federal Communications Commission from running in parallel the wo

The Federal Communications Commission announced the return of $881 million in unused funds from the TV Broadcaster Relocation Fund, known as the “Repack,” marking a significant milestone in the successful conclusion of the first-ever spectrum Incentive Auction. Initiated on April 13, 2017, the Incentive Auction repurposed 84 megahertz of low-band broadcast spectrum for commercial and unlicensed wireless use, generating $19.3 billion in net winning bids.

This July marks the one-year anniversary of the Big Beautiful Bill’s enactment.

The Federal Communications Commission set America up to lead the world in next-gen connectivity by adopting rules to auction 160 megahertz of spectrum in the Upper C-Band (3.98-4.14 GHz) by July 2027. By bridging the Lower C-band and Upper C-band, the FCC will create a single, harmonized “super band” spanning 440 megahertz (3.70-4.14 GHz)—a gigantic swath of licensed, 5G-grade mid-band spectrum that no other industrialized country can boast.

Every few years, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) tells Congress and the public what it intends to do with its authority. The agency's strategic plan is not a rulemaking and creates no legal obligations, but it is the framework around which the FCC builds its annual performance plan and budget request to Congress. The strategic plan also serves as the yardstick against which the agency's own annual performance reports—and outside overseers like the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)—measure whether the FCC did what it said it would do.

The AWS-3 reauction closed at $3.57 billion, and the number is inflated. Strip out EchoStar, which bid to raise prices rather than to win, and the auction raises about $2.0 billion. EchoStar walked away with two trivial licenses in Guam. Its purpose was never to win spectrum; it was to push the clearing price past the roughly $2.9 billion that erased its own default penalty, and Verizon and T-Mobile paid the difference.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr announced that the FCC will vote at the next Commission meeting on an order that tees up a large swath of prime, mid-band spectrum for auction. Specifically, the FCC will vote on July 22 to hold an auction of 160 megahertz of spectrum in the Upper C-Band (3.98-4.14 GHz) in 2027. The rules would also effectively harmonize terrestrial wireless operations across the entire C-Band to create a single “super-band” spanning 440 megahertz (3.70-4.14 GHz). This sets America up to lead the world in next-gen connectivity.

The Government Accountability Office highlighted three areas where open recommendations to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration should be given high priority:

On June 23, 2026, bidding concluded in Auction 113, the auction of Advanced Wireless Services licenses in the 1695–1710 MHz, 1755–1780 MHz, and 2155–2180 MHz bands (collectively, the “AWS-3” bands).  Auction 113 raised a total of $3,572,347,950 in net bids and $3,572,889,200 in gross bids, with seven bidders winning a total of 200 licenses. (see winning bidders)

The Federal Communications Commission announced the conclusion of its AWS-3 auction, which showed that the demand for spectrum is high. Auction bidding beat expectations with significant per-unit prices and gross winning bids exceeding $3.5 billion. Through the auction, valuable midband spectrum that was previously idle has been allocated for productive use. The auction also shows that the FCC’s Auctions program is running strong, despite the previous lapse in authority and a four-year gap in conducting an auction. The FCC is well prepared for its forthcoming Upper C-Band auction.