T-Band auction may not happen

[red_dog007]

470-512MHz. Congress authorized the sale of T-Band in 2012 to be auctioned by 2022 with a 2 year relocation process.  FCC is now asking congress to scrap the plan.

https://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/fccs-pai-joins-call-for-congress-to-ax-t-band-auction

https://transition.fcc.gov/pshs/docs/T-Band_FactSheet_July2016.pdf

Specifically 11 cities public safety are impacted.  However, I imagine that the equipment would support public safety 450-470MHz.  

Currently 470-512 is not part of any LTE bands.

It also covers TV spectrum channels 14-20. That would leave 16 channels (96MHz) left for TV in UHF.  

[ericdabbs]

So that would have allowed an additional l 42 MHz of low band spectrum to be auctioned?  If there is not another paired frequency in the 500 MHz range to match that 42 MHz then it is pretty useless.  That would indicate if you sell it as FDD that the most they can sell is two or three maybe 5x5 MHz blocks which is not enough for OEMS to generate hardware for that anyways.  

[RAvirani]

2 hours ago, ericdabbs said:

So that would have allowed an additional l 42 MHz of low band spectrum to be auctioned?  If there is not another paired frequency in the 500 MHz range to match that 42 MHz then it is pretty useless.  That would indicate if you sell it as FDD that the most they can sell is two or three maybe 5x5 MHz blocks which is not enough for OEMS to generate hardware for that anyways.  

42 MHz could easily be 3 5x5 Blocks with 12 MHz of unpaired spectrum in the middle.  This would be almost identical to the lower 700 MHz band plan (B12/B17/B29):

[ericdabbs]

4 hours ago, RAvirani said:

42 MHz could easily be 3 5x5 Blocks with 12 MHz of unpaired spectrum in the middle.  This would be almost identical to the lower 700 MHz band plan (B12/B17/B29):

I understand that but lets be honest unless you can get nationwide licenses its not really useful.  Also a 5x5 block is not that useful for speed or capacity and there is no way 1 carrier is going to grab all 3 5x5 blocks.  Tmobile would at most get 1 or 2 5x5 blocks since Dish would probably buy a 5x5 block.  

[RAvirani]

1 hour ago, ericdabbs said:

I understand that but lets be honest unless you can get nationwide licenses its not really useful.  Also a 5x5 block is not that useful for speed or capacity and there is no way 1 carrier is going to grab all 3 5x5 blocks.  Tmobile would at most get 1 or 2 5x5 blocks since Dish would probably buy a 5x5 block.  

T-Mobile likely wouldn't bid as they have 45-55 MHz of lowband on average (B12/B71). Nor would AT&T with 60-70 MHz of lowband on average (B12/B14/B29/B5).

The next lowband auction will be dominated by Verizon, Dish and possibly Sprint if they're still around and have the money. 

[ericdabbs]

5 minutes ago, RAvirani said:

T-Mobile likely wouldn't bid as they have 45-55 MHz of lowband on average (B12/B71). Nor would AT&T with 60-70 MHz of lowband on average (B12/B14/B29/B5).

The next lowband auction will be dominated by Verizon, Dish and possibly Sprint if they're still around and have the money. 

Screw that.  I am not in favor of Verizon getting more low band spectrum when they have enough already.

[RAvirani]

Just now, ericdabbs said:

Screw that.  I am not in favor of Verizon getting more low band spectrum when they have enough already.

Verizon has far less lowband spectrum than either AT&T or T-Mobile.  They average 30-40 MHz (B13/B5).  

[Trip]

There is no more than 18 MHz available in any given individual market in T-Band, much of which is non-contiguous and some of which is impaired.  It's only reserved in a handful of markets, and in many of those, is only 6 MHz.

New York:  18 MHz
Los Angeles:  6+6+6 MHz
Chicago:  12 MHz
Philadelphia:  12 MHz
Dallas:  6 MHz
Houston:  6 MHz
Miami:  6 MHz
San Francisco:  12 MHz
Washington, DC:  12 MHz
Pittsburgh:  6+6 MHz
Boston:  6+6 MHz

I'm not really sure what Congress was hoping to be able to sell in the first place.

- Trip

[red_dog007]

Forced relocation for all current license holders. Proceeds of the auction are/were to cover relocation costs. But I don't even think Congress put a use limitation on it.  Seems like it would be left up to the FCC to do whatever they wanted with it?

[ericdabbs]

It seems too complicated to move TV stations just for this tiny sliver of low band spectrum.