Spectrum

Upper C-band Incumbent SES: Don’t Auction More Than 160 Megahertz

The Federal Communications Commission had proposed selling off as much as 180 megahertz in the band.

Jake Neenan

Jan 21, 2026 — 5 min read

Photo of SES CEO Adel Al-Saleh from the company

WASHINGTON, Jan. 21, 2026 – The largest satellite incumbent in the upper C-band is asking the Federal Communications Commission to clear no more than 160 megahertz for auction to the mobile carriers.

The agency had proposed selling off as much as 180 megahertz, which is what the aviation industry said next-generation airplane altimeters can accommodate safely. Altimeters measure a plane’s altitude, critical information for pilots and air traffic controllers, and operate just above the upper C-band, or at 3.98-4.2 GigaHertz (GHz).

“Clearing the maximum 180 megahertz proposed in the [FCC proposal] leaves satellite operators with only 20 megahertz of C-band downlink, which is insufficient to operate a standard C-band satellite transponder,” SES wrote in comments posted Wednesday.

Post tagged in

Spectrum Upper C-Band FCC CTIA OTI Public Knowledge SES Eutelsat NAB WISPA Monisha Ghosh Buu Nygren SpaceX A4A FAA

Michael Santorelli: FCC Pole Ruling Faces Early Test

Whether the FCC enforces its February pole-attachment order against Appalachian Power will decide if BEAD produces ribbon cuttings or recriminations.

DIRECTV Wants Scripps-INYO TV Deal Blocked over 39% Cap Violation

Locking arms with six state cable trade associations, the satellite TV operator says Scripps would reach 40.29% of U.S. TV households, even after applying the UHF discount