C-Band Alliance offers 80% more spectrum for US 5G deployment

The C-Band Alliance (CBA) has announced that up to 200 MHz of mid-band spectrum could be cleared to support 5G wireless deployment in the US.

In an updated proposal to the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the CBA increased the amount of spectrum that could be made available for 5G terrestrial use by 80% compared to the initial proposal made by Intelsat and SES.

The CBA – which represents Intelsat, SES, Eutelsat and Telesat – said that the C-band downlink spectrum could be cleared dependent on demand, while protecting current users and critical broadcast services.

“The group’s proposal is the only one that balances the needs to protect the C-band user community, which includes television and radio programming distribution to over 100 million US homes, as well as private commercial and government media and data networks with the strong public interest need for rapid 5G network deployment across the US,” said the CBA in a statement.

“This announcement allows the CBA and its members to engage in detailed planning of the complicated task of moving customers to different frequency assignments, facilitated through new satellite capacity and innovative technical solutions, implementing new ground infrastructure and modifying the significant existing infrastructure deployed nationwide.”

The C-Band Alliance was established by the leading continental US satellite services operators earlier this month to efficiently clear and repurpose C-band spectrum, supporting the US in its  5G deployment and innovation goals.

The CBA was developed in response to a proceeding initiated by the US Federal Communications Commission in August 2017.