FCC votes to auction C-band satellite spectrum for 5G use - and potentially pay satellite operators billions for the trouble.
By Richard Lawler
FCC chairman Ajit Pai has been pressing for an auction of "mid-band" wireless spectrum that could be useful for expanding the reach of 5G, and on Friday the commission voted to approve rules for just such a redistribution. The rules cover "C-Band" spectrum that satellite companies like Intelsat, SES SA and Telesat are currently using, and include payment incentives for those companies to speed plans to shift operations away from those frequencies by dates in 2021 and
2023. Otherwise, the spectrum will need to be freed up no later than December 5th, 2025.
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