FCC votes to auction C-band satellite spectrum for 5G use

A divided @FCC chose to give away $15B to foreign satellite companies when American taxpayers want that money for rural broadband.

These foreign satellite firms want all 4 feet and their snout in the taxpayer trough, but the FCC shouldn’t be helping them.https://t.co/wpUwRziYnU

— John Kennedy (@SenJohnKennedy) February 28, 2020

Following previous proclamations, Pai again claimed they will assist in closing the digital divide between city and rural areas. In his own statement, he said ” it would be irresponsible for me to do nothing on a spectrum band vital for 5G in the hopes that a Congress under divided control and in an election year is going to pass C-band legislation addressing the difficult issues ably resolved by this Order.”

There’s no date set for the auction yet, and as Reuters notes, the FCC has previously said that it will require new satellites to be launched, and filters placed on ground stations. There’s also pending legislation that could reduce those incentive payments, and in a statement Sen. John Kennedy (R) said “We still don’t know how the chairman arrived at his $15 billion gift. Why not surrender $14 billion to the foreign satellite giants, who don’t even own the airwaves they’ve been using? Why not $16 billion? We’re in real need of transparency here. Shelling out billions for airwaves we already own is no way to handle taxpayer money—especially when taxpayers want those dollars to support rural broadband.”

Verizon (owner of Engadget’s parent company), AT&T and T-Mobile previously expressed support for the plan, and on Friday, Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg said “5G services fueled by mid-band spectrum will enable new innovations, vast economic opportunities and game-changing products and technologies for all American consumers and businesses. Verizon fully supports the FCC’s actions.”

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