by Angela Y. Kung and Christen B'anca Glenn
As part of its strategy to make additional mid-band spectrum available for Fifth Generation ("5G") wireless services, the Federal Communications Commission ("FCC") recently adopted a Report and Order that revises its rules for the 2.5 GHz band - the largest contiguous band of spectrum below 3 gigahertz - in a manner that will pave the way for the Commission to auction the spectrum for commercial use next year. Specifically, the Report and Order:
- removes several restrictions on the part of the band currently designated for Educational Broadband Service ("EBS") use, in favor of allowing flexible use, in order to attract commercial investment;
- creates a priority filing window for Tribal entities interested in obtaining unassigned EBS spectrum;
- adopts procedures to conduct an overlay auction for the remaining EBS spectrum; and
- adopts county-based licensing and performance requirements for the new overlay licenses.
formatting link