FCC to vote on 5G auction rules this month By VAI Weekly staff The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will vote Jul. 22 to auction off wireless frequencies in the Upper C-band next year. This forthcoming spectrum sale requires coordination with the aviation industry, which uses nearby spectrum for radio altimeters. Concern about possible airline disruption has complicated past spectrum proceedings, which policymakers and industry leaders hoped to avoid this time around. Wireless carriers want the frequencies for 5G cellular use and have clamored for this auction, particularly after Congress directed it in last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The auction is expected to raise billions of dollars. The wireless industry should be able to use these airwaves by the end of 2030 under the proposed rules—a timeline “years ahead” of initial projections, according to FCC Chair Brendan Carr. The FCC will auction 160 MHz of this spectrum, much more than the 100 MHz that last year’s reconciliation law required. The FAA is “confident that the use of radio signals from the FCC’s 5G auction can safely coexist with aviation after years of FAA-led testing and technical analysis. The FCC worked closely with the FAA while developing its auction rule, which contains key safeguards that protect the band of frequencies that aircraft radio altimeters use.” The FAA says it will issue a rule later this summer requiring altimeter upgrades to make sure airlines and these 5G signals can safely coexist. Under the FCC’s draft rules, winning bidders would fund the transition costs, including helping cover the installation of new radio altimeters.
