AT&T Proposes to Auction Off CBRS Spectrum

WASHINGTON, Oct. 10, 2024 – AT&T proposed a change in how the 3 GigaHertz (GHz) band is allocated that would see wireless companies scoop up more exclusive licenses in the band. Spectrum sharing proponents did not like the plan.

The company’s proposal would see users of the Citizens Broadband Radio Service, the three-tiered spectrum sharing framework, moved from the 3.55-3.7 GHz band to the 3.1-3.3 GHz band – currently Defense Department spectrum. The band where CBRS currently operates would be auctioned off for licensed use by 5G companies. 

“This approach would give the U.S. 530 megahertz of contiguous licensed mid-band spectrum to support 5G, with potential future expansion at both ends of the band,” Rhonda Johnson, AT&T’s executive vice president of federal regulatory relations, wrote in a blog post Wednesday. The subject of spectrum sharing was also highlighted in Wednesday's Broadband Breakfast Live Online event.

Experts Advocate for Spectrum Sharing to Boost Wireless Innovation

Advocates for spectrum sharing underscored benefits of more dynamic spectrum in a time of scarcity.

Broadband BreakfastBroadband Breakfast