FCC Set to Begin 3.45 GHz Spectrum Band Auction

On Tuesday October 5, the FCC will commence its public auction for spectrum in the 3.45-3.55 GHz band. Bevin Fletcher's October 1 article at FierceWireless spotlights some analyst predictions about the prospective bidders and winning bid amounts. As the article points out, the 3.45 GHz auction is "the last major near-term opportunity for auctioned mid-band spectrum." 

My Perspectives from FSF Scholars from February 18 of this year explained that this auction needs to be followed up as soon as reasonably possible with additional FCC auctions for lower 3 GHz band spectrum:

Combining 3.35-3.45 GHz spectrum with C-band, CBRS, and other adjacent 3 GHz spectrum could create a contiguous block of 630 MHz for 5G services. Additional lower 3 GHz spectrum can later be repurposed for commercial use, either on an exclusive or shared basis. Unless the FCC and other federal agencies cooperate and act fast to restock the mid-band spectrum supply, opportunities for creating new jobs and economic growth will be diminished. And the U.S. will risk China and other global competitors surpassing the U.S. in the race to lead in 5G.