The FCC granted requests from AT&T and Verizon for Special Temporary Authority to use additional spectrum to help meet wireless broadband needs across the country during this national emergency. Thursday night, AT&T was granted authority for 60 days to operate in AWS-4 Band spectrum licensed to Dish. Friday, both AT&T and Verizon were granted similar authority to use AWS-3 spectrum held in the FCC’s inventory.
“Consumers and businesses across the country are making the necessary adjustments to maintain social distance during the coronavirus pandemic. This means an increased reliance on wireline and wireless broadband services,” said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai.
“The FCC has been coordinating closely with network operators to ensure those networks remain up and running. We have been encouraged by the feedback we have received, both regarding the ability of their networks to handle changes in usage patterns caused by the coronavirus outbreak and how networks are performing so far.”
He thanked Dish for allowing AT&T to use its spectrum and AT&T and Verizon for seeking out ways to meet increased consumer demand. “I also want to thank the Justice Department, Defense Department CIO, and NTIA’s Office of Spectrum Management for their hard work in helping us move these applications forward,” said Pai.
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