Ajit Pai, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, said it planned to reuse the 280mhz spectrum for mobile network operators in the United States to build 5g networks.
C-band spectrum belongs to 500MHz spectrum between 3.7GHz and 4.2ghz. Mobile network operators are particularly eager to use it for 5g, because it can achieve higher speed than the low-frequency spectrum, and has a wider coverage than the millimeter wave spectrum.
In Europe, almost all operators have launched their original 5G products on the C band (or similar medium band) spectrum. But in the United States, satellite operators currently use the spectrum for television broadcasting.
"Satellite companies do not need the entire C-band to provide the services they provide today. They can provide the same service with less bandwidth, which will release a lot of spectrum for 5g, "Pai said in a statement.
According to Pai's proposal, the lower 280mhz (3.7ghz-3.98ghz) of the band will be removed and will be auctioned to mobile network operators in the near future. Existing satellite operators will shift and merge their spectrum into the C-band 4.0ghz – 4.2ghz.
With the agreement to reallocate ownership of its existing spectrum, the satellite operator will receive approximately $9.7 billion in compensation, which will be paid by the winning bidder at the C-band auction. In order to obtain compensation qualification, the satellite operator must vacate the minimum 100MHz spectrum before September 30, 2021, and the rest of the spectrum shall be removed before September 30, 2023.
The acquisition of C-band spectrum will help U.S. operators to provide a more powerful and stable 5g connection than their existing millimeter wave services.
