FCC Sets Upper C-Band Vote as U.S. Races China to 6G Mid-Band Spectrum Lead

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission scheduled a binding vote for July 22 on draft spectrum auction rules designed to place 6G and 5G capacity leadership within reach, amid rivalry with China over mid-band spectrum. The FCC released draft rules on July 1 for an auction of 160 MHz of upper C-band spectrum (3.98–4.14 GHz), targeted to move forward no later than July 2027. If approved, winning bidders would be authorized to provide service across the top 75 U.S. markets by December 2030. FCC Chairman Brendan Carr said the timeline is “years ahead” of prior expectations, and the agency moved from notice to draft order faster than in earlier 5G proceedings. The article emphasizes that the auction’s significance goes beyond the 160 MHz because it would be combined with 280 MHz of lower C-band already held by carriers, creating a contiguous 440 MHz “super-band” spanning 3.70–4.14 GHz for 5G NR.