The Federal Communications Commission moved on two fronts July 22, clearing more C-band spectrum for terrestrial 5G while simultaneously rewriting the rules for how satellite operators get licensed.
The upper C-band auction will release 160 MHz in the 3.98 to 4.14 GHz range, scheduled for July 2027. Combined with the 280 MHz of lower C-band already auctioned in 2020, the decision creates a 440 MHz contiguous block for wireless carriers. Services in the top 75 U.S. markets could begin as early as December 2030.
The 2020 lower C-band auction raised more than $80 billion from Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, with $13.4 billion paid to incumbent satellite operators SES and Eutelsat to cover relocation costs. The upper C-band clearing gives those same operators less compensation, but FCC Chairman Brendan Carr argued the figure is proportional given the smaller amount of spectrum involved.
SES, the largest incumbent in the upper C-band, said it was too early to comment pending review of the final order. The company had previously urged the FCC to cap the auction at no more than 160 MHz. Both SES and Eutelsat must now relocate affected services to the remaining 40 MHz of upper C-band or shift to Ku-band and other frequencies.
The FCC worked closely with the FAA to avoid a repeat of the 2021 C-band altimeter interference controversy that affected aviation safety systems. Carr confirmed that parallel FCC and FAA processes will fund radio altimeter upgrades for domestic aircraft operators and owners, ensuring coexistence between 5G services and critical aviation tools.
Commissioner Anna Gomez partially dissented, arguing that the agency had not given tribal nations an opportunity to secure frequencies before the broader auction.
On the satellite side, the commission voted unanimously to adopt new Part 100 rules, replacing the legacy Part 25 framework that has governed satellite licensing for decades. Chairman Carr described the new system as a “licensing assembly line” that will process applications faster and more predictably, shifting timelines from years to months or weeks.
The overhaul extends minor license modifications that operators can make without prior authorization, a critical feature for non-geostationary orbit constellations that continuously replenish and upgrade their satellite fleets. David Redl, executive director of the newly formed NGSO trade association SpaceConnect, said the modernization allows members “to focus on providing innovative services.”
The FCC also opened a comment period on space-based experimental licenses and additional reforms needed to keep pace with an industry that now launches thousands of satellites per year rather than dozens.