FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRMAN November 18,2019 The Honorable John Thune Chairman Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet United States Senate 512 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Dear Chairman Thune: Thank you for your interest in the Federal Communications Commission s ongoing rulemaking related to spectrum in the 3.742 GHz band, commonly called the  C-band. C- band spectrum is widely seen as a critical swath of mid-band spectrum that could help drive American leadership in 5G, the next generation of wireless connectivity. This spectrum offers both geographic coverage and the capacity to transmit large amounts of data a combination that is appealing to entrepreneurs and wireless consumers alike. I previously announced that I would make a decision on how the FCC should proceed by this fall and outlined four principles that the FCC must advance through this rulemaking. First, we must make available a significant amount of C-band spectrum for 5G. Second, we must make C-band spectrum available for 5G quickly. Third,we must generate revenue for the federal government. And fourth, we must protect the services that are currently delivered using the C-band so they can continue to be delivered to the American people. After much deliberation and a thorough review of the extensive record, I have concluded that the best way to advance these principles is through an auction of 280 megahertz of the C- band conducted by the Federal Communications Commission s excellent staff. With a quarter- century track record of transparent and successful auctions, I am confident that they will conduct a public auction that will afford allparties a fair opportunity to compete for this 5G spectrum, while preserving the availability of the upper 200 megahertz of this band for the continued delivery of programming. Thank you once again for your interest. Please let me know if I can be of any further assistance. Sincerely, ()