AT&T and Dish have just won the largest 5G auction in the bunch at the price of $12 billion! In addition, another competiotor, T-Mobile,has also won smaller 5G auctions.
FCC Finished Auctioning Off New Slice of 5G Airwaves
According to the story by PCMag, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has just recently finished auctioning off a brand new slice of 5G airwaves that are relatively close to the upcoming 5G C-Band. Both AT&T and Dish have spent $12 billion to improve their portfolios.
AT&T reportedly won 40MHz in every one of the top 20 markets in the US, among others. This doubles the amount of C-Band 5G spectrum that the company will be able to use in the cities later on in the year.
Official List of Which Carriers Won the 5G Auctions
The official list of which carriers that won can be found on the FCC website. It should also be noted that the new 3.45-3.55 GHz airwaves are in a slightly different lane compared to the existing 40 MHz of C-Band that AT&T will start to activate this January 19.
AT&T will also be turning on 40 MHz in some areas throughout the year. However, details of where and when this will happen have not yet been released.
It is safe to say that both Verizon and AT&T will be battling with 5G speeds and buildouts for the next couple of years.
Auction Structured with 100 MHz Airwaves with a Single Bidder Getting Just 40 MHz
It is important to note that Verizon did not bid in the 3.45-3.55 GHz auction. To add, the auction was structured with 100 MHz airwaves being made available across the country with a single bidder only getting 40 MHz.
This means that there were just three winners per location. Without Verizon on board, the winners were usually Dish, AT&T, and either T-Mobile, US Cellular, or even private equity firms.
Dish Picked Up 30 to 40 MHz in Most Markets After Winning Auction
Dish was the second biggest auction winner after picking up 30-40 MHz in most markets. Along with its earlier 20 MHz of similar CBRS spectrum, this makes for a decent network in some major cities. Although it will not compete with the "Big Three" carriers, 60 MHz is good for a strong smartphone experience.
An article by AllNet Insights reports that in Las Vegas, Dish is planning to use 40 MHz. The company is also adding another 30 MHz or even 50 MHz should CBRS be counted. This gives the carrier quite a decent amount of depth.
T-Mobile Spent $4 Billion on the Auction to Buy 20 MHz Within Top 20 Metro Areas and More
The question regarding Dish now revolves around whether or not the company can build the network. In relation to this, the FCC has asked the company to cover 70% of the US population by the year 2023.
Meanwhile, T-Mobile has spent $4 billion on the auction by buying 20 MHz within 12 of the top 20 metro areas and some others.
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This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Urian B.
