The FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau granted the first batch of new, flexible-use geographic overlay licenses made available in the auction of 2.5 GHz licenses. The WTB approved 51 (out of 68) long-form applications and issued 650 of the 2.5 GHz licenses for Auction 108. The Commission completed the auction on August 29.
T-Mobile spent the most money, $304.3 million, and won the largest number of licenses — more than 7,000 licenses, Inside Towers reported. PTI Pacifica bid $17.6 million, TeleGuam Holdings bid $16.5 million, Evergy Kansas Central bid $12.7 million and Cellular South Licenses bid $11.8 million. Aside from T-Mobile, the bidders who won the most licenses were: North American Catholic Educational Programming Foundation (107), Evergy Kansas Central (54), LICT Wireless Broadband Company (46) and Broadband One of the Midwest, Inc. (42).
“This is important spectrum, especially for rural America. I am grateful to our team for moving forward quickly but carefully in processing these applications,” said FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel. “We continue to focus on ensuring that mid-band spectrum is available for 5G and other next-generation wireless services.”
The auction raised a total of $419 million in net bids, with 63 bidders winning a total of 7,872 licenses. Long-form applications for licenses won in Auction 108 were due on September 16. WTB accepted these 51 Auction 108 applications for filing on October 26. The WTB now says the applications for the licenses listed in Attachment A are complete and comply with Commission rules. The agency adds that granting the applications for licenses is in the public interest and it’s received full payment for the licenses.
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By Leslie Stimson, Inside Towers Washington Bureau Chief
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