The C-band auction began on December 8, 2020 and is anticipated to conclude in approximately 90 days, in Q1 2021. Specifically, C-band Auction 107 represents three blocks of spectrum: A Block will cover 100 MHz from 3.7 GHz to 3.8 GHz, B Block will cover 100 MHz from 3.8 GHz to 3.9 GHz, and C Block will cover 80 MHz from 3.9 GHz to 3.98 GHz.
Overall, the C-band represents 280 MHz of spectrum from the range of 3.7 GHz to 4.2 GHz. However, Auction 107 is only offering spectrum from the lower portion of the band. Specifically, Auction 107 is offering 280 MHz of spectrum in the 3.7 GHz to 3.98 GHz range. Indeed, the upper portion of the C-band will be part of a separate auction, at a later date.
C-band is an important band for the United States because there is no other mid-band spectrum available offering similar bandwidth (i.e., 280 MHz). Additionally, C-band is clean spectrum that has not been placed in-service in the United States. Therefore, smartphone users are not currently benefitting from its capabilities.
