The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has confirmed that its auction of 28GHz 5G-suitable millimetre wave (mmWave) spectrum commenced yesterday (14 November) as planned. The first two rounds of the process generated provisional winning bids (PWB) of USD41.7 million across 2,065 spectrum lots.
In total, Auction 101 will offer 3,072 Upper Microwave Flexible Use Service (UMFUS) licences in the 27.5GHz–28.35GHz (28GHz) band, meaning that 1,007 concessions have yet to receive bids. The first round of the auction generated the bulk of the bidding activity (USD36.4 million), with bidder interest plummeting in the second round, which earned offers of just USD5.3 million.
A total of 40 bidders have registered to participate in the process, although the identities of the successful bidders will not be revealed until after the successful conclusion of the auction.