Major wireless carriers including Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile are aggressively lobbying the FCC to repurpose the entire upper C-band for flexible-use wireless services. The telecommunications companies are aiming to secure up to 180 megahertz of additional spectrum to expand their capacity for 5G and 6G services.
The FCC recently issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to repurpose the 3.98 to 4.2 gigahertz band for flexible-use terrestrial services, with an auction targeted for 2027. While the FCC is mandated by Congress to allocate at least another 100 megahertz for wireless services, wireless industry groups are pushing for the maximum amount of spectrum possible. The NAB is pushing back against the telecommunications companies.
The NAB warned the FCC that taking the full 180 megahertz for terrestrial cellular services could disrupt vital content distribution services for local radio and television stations. The NAB is urging the FCC to strictly limit the reallocation to the congressionally mandated 100 megahertz.