FCC Sets June 2026 Auction Date for AWS-3 Spectrum, Expands Robocall Rules
Carr said agency was not independent: 'Any FCC commissioner can be fired by the president for any reason, or no reason at all'
WASHINGTON, Dec. 18, 2025 – The Federal Communications Commission’s first spectrum auction since 2022 will begin on June 2, 2026, the agency announced Thursday.
The agency will be selling 200 licenses in the AWS-3 band used by wireless carriers. The large majority of which were returned by EchoStar after the FCC determined the company’s subsidiaries had improperly claimed bidding credits meant for smaller companies.
The FCC’s ability to sell off spectrum lapsed in March 2023 and was restored in July with the Republicans’ budget legislation. The AWS-3 auction was authorized as a one-off late last year in a bid to raise money for the agency’s Rip and Replace program, which was facing a funding shortfall.
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