Next 5G Auction to Feature Large Tracts Sought by Carriers

Regulators decided the next U.S. 5G airwaves auction will offer frequencies in portions covering millions of people, a plan backed by wireless giants thirsty for spectrum and opposed by cable providers leery of expensive bidding. From a report: The Federal Communications Commission with a 4-0 vote set rules for the sale that's to begin in October. It'll follow an airwaves auction that drew a record $81 billion in bids as companies race to establish next-generation ultrafast 5G wireless service. "We take action that will move us closer to 5G service that is fast, secure, reliable, and most importantly available everywhere in the country," FCC Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said as the agency voted at its monthly meeting in Washington.

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[account_deleted]

Comment removed based on user account deletion

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[arglebargle_xiv]

So am I. Apparently she's beautiful, she's rich, and she's got huge... tracts o' 5G!

She's beautiful, she's rich...

[spun]

She's got HUGE... tracts of spectrum!

Honestly I think someone misread tranche. It should probably be "large tranches sought by carriers."

Limitations apply

[DontBeAMoran]

We take action that will move us closer to 5G service that is fast, secure, reliable, and most importantly available everywhere in the country*

* as long as you're within 10 metres of a 5G tower and there's nothing between you and the tower, including plastic bags being blown away by the wind.

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[Mononymous]

"available everywhere in the country" is seriously not even desirable to the carriers.

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[SirSpanksALot]

Why wouldn't it be? If AST SpaceMobile is successful, you'll have ubiquitous 5g coverage globally within the next 2 or so years - You'll just be getting your coverage direct from a satellite if there isn't a tower near by. The only reason it's not desirable at the moment is because you have to have towers to do that coverage - once towers aren't needed for rural and ultra-rural areas then it no longer matters.

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[timeOday]

No...

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted unanimously to move forward with the next 5G auction, the latest in a series of bidding for mid-band spectrum that balances bandwidth and distance for 5G devices like the iPhone 12.

The FCC voted 4-0 in favor of the allocation for the October auction. It will distribute the coveted 3.45 gigahertz to 3.55 gigahertz midband 5G airwaves for commercial use. The U.S. Department of Defense currently uses this midband spectrum for radar applications.

This i

Obligatory

[Zak3056]

King: Now listen, lad. In 20 minutes, they're starting the auction for the biggest tracts of open spectrum in the US.

Son: But I don't want spectrum!

King: Now listen, Sprint

Son: T-Mo.

King: T-Mo. We have the shittiest network in the country. We need all the spectrum we can get.

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[CaptQuark]

So THAT'S why he put his son in a tower! And the son kept broadcasting Short Messages out the window hoping someone would notice him.

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[Zak3056]

Other kings said he was daft to build a cell tower in the swamp. The first one sank into the swamp. The second one sank into the swamp. The thud one burned down, fell over, and sank into the swamp. But the fourth one stayed.

The next U.S. 5G airwaves auction

[PPH]

Already? The carriers haven't even got service up and running on the last batch of bandwidth they bought. They are telling customers to stick to 2G/3G for the time being.

That's fine with me. I've never had a connection fail on the existing 3G system. And it has enough bandwidth to handle a Zoom session from the middle of bumfuck nowhere. I suspect that this is just the carriers trying to suck up all the bandwidth they can get their hands on. Like the Hunt brothers tried to corner the silver market.

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[Nite_Hawk]

The know SpaceX (and Amazon at some point) is going to eat their lunch if they don't get their mitts on more spectrum.

It bugs me that we're auctioning off

[rsilvergun]

a natural resource of almost incalculable value for a few billion dollars.

e.g. why the **** isn't this a lease? With a lot of conditions about access?

Oh, wait, decades of austerity and corruption. I forgot.

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[Idimmu Xul]

that was my first thought. this should be a lease that is renewed with performance KPIs that must be met

Holy Monty Bandwidth!

[farrellj]

Don't like 5G?! What's wrong with 5G?! 5G's beautiful. 5G's rich. 5G's got huge... tracts o' bandwidth!

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[Ostracus]

The landowners those towers are sitting on may walk away with a nice amount of change.