A number of big names are stepping up to bid in the FCC's upcoming C-band auction, an auction that some expect to raise an astounding $51 billion in bids.

Mike Dano, Editorial Director, 5G & Mobile Strategies

October 19, 2020

3 Min Read
Verizon, AT&T, Charter, Cox, Dish among C-band bidders

The FCC Monday released a list of entities that have registered interest in participating in the agency's upcoming C-band spectrum auction – an event that some analysts believe could be the biggest auction of spectrum ever.

The financial analysts at New Street Research expect the C-band auction to raise a total of $51 billion in bids. After all, the auction seeks to release valuable midband spectrum for 5G, a once-in-a-lifetime event that would free up spectrum that can support both broad coverage areas and blazing fast speeds. Verizon is expected to walk away with the bulk of the C-band licenses.

Based on an initial check of the entities registering interest with the FCC for the C-band auction, dubbed Auction 107, it appears that most of the market's major players plan to show up. Noteworthy names include Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Charter Communications, Cox Communications, Altice USA, Columbia Capital, Dish Network, Viasat and U.S. Cellular, among others.

As in past auctions, bidders are only identified by their "bidding entity." In some cases, the identity of that bidding entity is pretty clear: For example, AT&T is bidding under the name "AT&T Spectrum Frontiers LLC." But in other cases the identity of the bidder is unclear: For example, Dish appears to be bidding under the name "Little Bear Wireless."

Bidding entity

Company

Application status

CSC Wireless, LLC

Altice USA

Incomplete

AT&T Spectrum Frontiers LLC

AT&T

Cellco Partnership

Verizon

Cellular South Licenses, LLC

C Spire

Incomplete

C&C Wireless Holding Company, LLC

Charter

Incomplete

0029998416 MB License Co LLC

Columbia Capital

Incomplete

Cox Communications , Inc

Cox

FiberLight LLC.

FiberLight

Little Bear Wireless L.L.C

Dish Network

Incomplete

Radius Broadband Holdings, LLC

Radius Capital Partners

Incomplete

SAL Spectrum

ATN International

T-Mobile License LLC

T-Mobile

United States Cellular Corporation

U.S. Cellular

Viasat, Inc

Viasat

A number of companies contacted by Light Reading, including Dish and Comcast, did not immediately respond to questions about the C-band. However, one financial analyst with Evercore said that the "C&C Wireless" bidding entity is a 50/50 joint venture between Comcast and Charter.

As in previous auctions, the FCC released two lists of potential auction participants. One list comprised entities that correctly filled out their auction application and another list that contained entities that did not correctly fill out their bidding application. However, entities can correct their filings, so the fact that some companies aren't listed among the entities that filed incomplete applications isn't important.

Related posts:

Mike Dano, Editorial Director, 5G & Mobile Strategies, Light Reading | @mikeddano

About the Author(s)

Mike Dano

Editorial Director, 5G & Mobile Strategies, Light Reading

Mike Dano is Light Reading's Editorial Director, 5G & Mobile Strategies. Mike can be reached at [email protected], @mikeddano or on LinkedIn.

Based in Denver, Mike has covered the wireless industry as a journalist for almost two decades, first at RCR Wireless News and then at FierceWireless and recalls once writing a story about the transition from black and white to color screens on cell phones.

Subscribe and receive the latest news from the industry.
Join 62,000+ members. Yes it's completely free.

You May Also Like