STATEMENT OF
COMMISSIONER BRENDAN CARR

Re:	Auctions of Upper Microwave Flexible Use Licenses for Next-Generation Wireless Services; Notice and Filing Requirements, Minimum Opening Bids, Upfront Payments, and Other Procedures for Auctions 101 (28 GHz) and 102 (24 GHz); Bidding in Auction 101 Scheduled to Begin November 14, 2018, AU Docket No. 18-85

November 2018 will be an important month for millions of Americans.  It will mark the start of the FCC’s first new auction of 5G spectrum.  And with this Public Notice, we announce the final procedures that will govern bidding for the 24 and 28 GHz bands.  Admittedly, this Public Notice dives into arcane auction rules pretty quickly—“simultaneous multiple round auction format” doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue.  But what this means for our country in plain terms is more broadband, more jobs, and more money back to the Treasury.

The first of these auctions will begin on Wednesday, November 14.  The news that day will probably mention that the FCC is holding an auction, that it has something to do with 5G, and that it might net billions of dollars back to taxpayers.  What the news probably won’t mention is the tremendous effort that went into preparing for that day.

Those of us on the Eighth Floor could speak more often and more loudly about the work of the dedicated staff throughout the building.  Consider, for instance, the hard work it took to prepare these two bands for auction.  In 2017, the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau analyzed whether our legacy spectrum aggregation rules made sense in the upper bands.  The Bureau updated licenses in our electronic system to reflect the new band plan.  In 2018, the Bureau clarified our buildout rules for this spectrum so that they remain meaningful when applied to the Internet of Things.  Earlier this year, the Bureau resolved spectrum sharing concerns, especially for fixed satellite services, as well as operability requirements.  And it coordinated across the agency to test our application and bidding systems to make sure they’re ready for auction.  

Each of these can be thorny, technical, and time-consuming issues.  But they are key to conducting a successful auction.  This was hard work.  As we approach auctions that will make the news, the Bureau staff deserves the credit for the thousands of hours they’ve put in on this and other auctions—work that is always ongoing, but often flies under the radar.  So to the staff here and to the Bureau: thank you.

Enjoy the deserved recognition, but be warned: Your work doesn’t stop here.  This FCC has been supercharging the agency’s efforts to free up more spectrum.  In February, we paved the way for opening up spectrum above 95 GHz.  In March, we sought comment on designating the 4.9 GHz band for flexible use.  In April, we took a step towards bringing over 1.5 GHz of millimeter wave spectrum to auction.  In May, we started a proceeding to put spectrum in the 2.5 GHz band to more productive use.  In June, we finalized rules for the 24 GHz band and sought comment on opening up the 26 GHz and 42 GHz bands for flexible use.  In July, we sought comment on clearing mid-band spectrum for wireless use, and Chairman Pai announced the auction of spectrum in the 37 GHz, 39 GHz, and 47 GHz bands.  And today, in addition to the 28 GHz and 24 GHz auctions, we take steps to rationalize the 39 GHz band ahead of next year’s auction.  Yes, that’s a lot of gigahertz.
  
In short, in the race to 5G, we’re positioning the U.S. to win.  We’re 4 GHz ahead of second place China and making progress every day on both spectrum and infrastructure.  This PN is part of that effort, and it has my support.