WASHINGTON, July 10, 2019—The Federal Communications Commission today established procedures for the third auction of high-band, flexible-use licenses suitable for 5G.  This auction of airwaves in the Upper 37 GHz, 39 GHz, and 47 GHz spectrum bands will be the largest spectrum auction in our nation’s history, offering licenses covering up to 3,400 megahertz.  These bands of spectrum are suited for the development of 5G, the Internet of Things, and other advanced spectrum-based services, so that Americans can be the first to benefit from the next generation of wireless connectivity.

Bidding in Auction 103 is scheduled to commence on December 10, 2019. The Public Notice approved by the FCC today provides details regarding the procedures, terms, conditions, dates, and deadlines governing participation in Auction 103, as well as an overview of the post-auction application and payment processes.  

Auction 103 is designed as an incentive auction that will provide incentive payments to existing 39 GHz licensees that relinquish their spectrum usage rights, increasing the amount of 39 GHz spectrum available for new licenses. The auction will offer licenses for 100 megahertz blocks of spectrum in Partial Economic Areas (PEA) through a clock phase and an assignment phase.  The clock phase will allow bidding on generic blocks in two categories—one for Upper 37 GHz and 39 GHz, and one for 47 GHz—in each PEA. The clock phase will serve to determine both the winners of generic spectrum blocks and the amount of incentive payments due to those incumbent licensees in the 39 GHz band that opt to relinquish their spectrum usage rights. The assignment phase will allow bidding for frequency-specific license assignments, while ensuring contiguous block assignments within a PEA. 

The action taken today is another step toward implementing Chairman Pai’s 5G FAST plan, which is critical to securing American leadership in 5G and thus boosting economic growth, job creation, and America’s global competitiveness.