Doyle, Others of Both Parties File Bill for FCC Public Auction of C Band

band. The bill would require a public FCC auction of 200-300 MHz of “contiguous” spectrum on the C band by Sept. 30, 2022. It would require the auction to occur in a way that ensures C-band incumbents “receive equal or better service as before” the sale “continuously throughout the transition process.” The measure would reserve a 20 MHz guard band between the sold spectrum and other frequencies. House Communications Vice Chair Doris Matsui, D-Calif., and Reps. Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, and Greg Gianforte, R-Mont., are co-sponsoring HR-4855. Doyle and Matsui had been collaborating since the summer to marry their separate C-band proposals. Doyle's earlier draft sought to auction 400 MHz of spectrum. HR-4855 “would ensure a transparent and fair process that would generate billions of dollars in revenue to address the urgent needs of millions of Americans such as building out broadband internet service in rural America while protecting users of incumbent services,” Doyle said. “An open and transparent process that enables competition and protects taxpayer dollars can best be accomplished by the FCC conducting a public auction of C-band spectrum that will help fund broadband deployment where it is needed most,” Johnson said. Public Knowledge Policy Director Philip Berenbroick hailed introduction, saying it “presents the fastest, most legally sound way for the Commission to repurpose a significant portion of the C-Band” and would “likely result in the return of tens of billions of dollars of auction proceeds to the Department of the Treasury.” The bill was filed before a planned Tuesday House Communications hearing on C-band issues (see 1910220070). The C-band debate was also the primary focus of a Senate Appropriations Financial Services Subcommittee hearing this month (see 1910170038).