The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has kicked off a mid-band spectrum auction to support next generation wireless services – including 5G – in the 3.45 GHz band.
Auction 110 will make available 100 MHz of contiguous mid-band spectrum for commercial use this year.

“We are moving with record speed and collaboration to free up more mid-band spectrum for 5G,” said FCC Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “These airwaves are a critical part of unlocking the 5G promise everywhere in the country.”

Bidding in the first phase of the auction, the clock phase, will kick off at 10 a.m. ET.  Auction proceeds must cover 110% of the expected sharing and relocation costs for federal users currently operating in the band – in this case $14,775,354,330, based on a January 14, 2021 estimate from NTIA.

FCC adopted flexible use service rules for the 3.45 GHz band in March 2021 and established procedures for Auction 110 in June.  License winners will operate within a cooperative sharing framework that will enable commercial use by an array of service providers.