A new proposal in Congress aims to auction 600 megahertz of federal spectrum, building on prior spectrum policy initiatives. The plan is for the FCC to auction at least 200 MHz of spectrum within three years of enactment of the law and auction the rest within six years. The legislation, structured through reconciliation, excludes key frequency ranges - specifically 3.1 - 3.45 GHz and 5.925 - 7.125 GHz - due to national security and federal agency use.
These bands are not idle. According to a September 2023 report, the Pentagon heavily utilizes the 3.1 - 3.45 GHz range for radars, weapons systems, satellite communications, and navigation operations. Additionally, there are plans for DoD to likely use this band for the Golden Dome missile defense system that Trump ordered back in January, according to Fierce.
Similarly, the 6 GHz range (5.925–7.125 GHz) supports key applications governed under FCC Part 101 and is widely used for fixed wireless backhaul and public safety communications. See more on the 6 GHz band here.
While the bill doesn't pinpoint which specific spectrum blocks will be auctioned, Congress appears to give significant discretion to the Trump administration to locate the 600 MHz within the 1.3 GHz to 10 GHz range. This flexibility could open the door to repurposing underutilized mid-band spectrum - often seen as the “sweet spot” for 5G.
Why mid-band? High-band (mmWave) struggles with coverage and indoor penetration, and low-band spectrum, while expansive, requires larger antennas - a design constraint for today’s compact mobile devices. Mid-band spectrum balances coverage and capacity, making it the most efficient for nationwide 5G deployments.
Learn more about regulatory insights and technical spectrum analyses here: Spectrum Licensing Practices.
Kama Thuo, PLLC is a Wireless Telecommunications Law firm with expertise in wireless telecom legal issues and AI services. Contact us or visit https://www.kthlaw.com/wireless.