The new US budget bill expands auctioning authority for the Federal Communications Commission, allowing it to sell radio frequencies ranging from 1.3 GHz to 10.5 GHz. This includes the controversial sale of mid-band airwaves previously reserved for federal use. Particularly concerning are the frequencies meant for Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) and Wi-Fi 6E. Advocacy groups warn that auctioning these frequencies could disrupt broadband services in rural communities and undermine efforts to bridge the digital divide, impacting businesses reliant on these services for connectivity.
In its quest to generate revenues to pay for the legislation, it potentially puts CBRS and 6 GHz spectrum on the auction block at the FCC, said the Wireless Internet Service Providers Association.
The vast majority of WISPA members employ CBRS and/or 6 GHz services to deliver broadband to their rural and under-resourced communities, warning that auctioning off spectrum in the CBRS and 6 GHz range would strike at the very heart of those businesses.
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