In the US, yet another part of the radio spectrum is being prepared for auction. Jack Parker W8ISH tells us what’s next.
The Federal Communications Commission is exploring reallocation of part of the upper C-band in the US. In a unanimous vote at its November 20th meeting, the commission studied a draft version of a Notice of Proposed rulemaking which will guide its actions going forward. The FCC will be asking broadcasters and satellite users for comment on a number of options for reallocating 4.0 through 4.2 GHZ before it moves to the competitive-bidding stage no later than July of 2027.
The FCC will also be inviting comment from other users of the C-band who may be using frequencies near the portion being eyed for reallocation.
When the lower half of the C-band was reallocated five years ago, its use was assigned for wireless services. Broadcasters’ satellite services were moved from there to the upper half of the band.