FCC Plans 2027 Upper C‑Band Auction to Expand Mid‑Band Spectrum for 5G and Future 6G

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission will vote on July 22 to launch an auction in 2027 of 160 MHz of Upper C‑Band spectrum (3.98–4.14 GHz). The sale exceeds the congressional requirement of at least 100 MHz and will create a 440 MHz contiguous mid‑band “super‑band” (3.70–4.14 GHz) for advanced 5G and future 6G services.

The auction will offer 3,248 flexible‑use licenses across the contiguous United States. The FCC expects the process to raise billions of dollars, generate roughly $264 billion in GDP, create about 1.5 million jobs and deliver $388 billion in consumer surplus. The plan includes coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration, retrofit rebates for aircraft altimeter upgrades, and financial compensation for incumbent satellite operators to facilitate a safe transition.

Deployment of the new spectrum is slated to begin in the top 75 U.S. markets by the end of 2030, with the remaining markets rolling out through mid‑2021. The FCC stated the auction will clear “significantly more spectrum than the minimum required under law.”