The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted 4,041 licenses for wireless services in the 3.45 GHz band to winning bidders in Auction 110, which closed in January.
The 3.45 GHz auction resulted in gross proceeds exceeding $22.5 billion. Thirteen of the twenty-three companies with winning bids qualified as small businesses or as entities serving rural communities.
In addition, compared to the prior 5G auction of spectrum in the 3.7 GHz band, this auction saw a substantial increase in the number of winning bidders per market: over one-third of the top 100 markets have at least four winning bidders, compared with 10 percent of the top 100 markets for Auction 107 (3.7 GHz band).
“The licenses we are granting today represent a wider variety of providers, including small businesses and rural carriers, who will help deliver on the promise of 5G to every corner of the country,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel.
“Building on the success of this auction, we are hard at work preparing for the 2.5 GHz auction starting in July. Our continued focus on making mid-band spectrum available illustrates our commitment to the broad availability of 5G in the United States.”
