FCC Sets Upper C-Band Auction for April 27, 2027: 3,248 Licenses Covering 160 MHz of Mid-Band Spectrum
WASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced on November 13 that bidding in the Upper C-band auction, designated Auction 115, is scheduled to commence on April 27, 2027, offering 3,248 new flexible-use licenses in the 3.98 to 4.14 GHz band for next-generation wireless services.
The licenses cover the contiguous United States and total 160 megahertz of spectrum, offered on an unpaired basis in eight 20-megahertz blocks by partial economic area. Licenses will be issued for renewable 15-year terms. The 20 megahertz at 4.14 to 4.16 GHz will serve as a guard band and will not be auctioned, while incumbent satellite operations are repacked into higher frequencies.
The FCC said the auction responds to surging demand for mid-band spectrum and to congressional direction in Public Law 119-21 requiring licenses in the 3.98 to 4.2 GHz band to be granted through competitive bidding completed no later than July 4, 2027. The auction will use an ascending clock phase followed by an assignment phase for frequency-specific licenses.
The start date was announced by the FCC's Office of Economics and Analytics and its Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. The Commission reminded potential bidders that they are responsible for evaluating technical and marketplace factors, including the band-clearing process.
(Source: U.S. Federal Communications Commission)
Source: U.S. Federal Communications Commission
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：蜂窝基站上的 5G 设备与天线。Tony Webster 摄，CC BY 2.0，经 Wikimedia Commons（预裁 16:9）。 / Photo: 5G equipment and antennas on a cellular tower. Photo by Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (pre-cropped to 16:9).
