The FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau (Bureau) has announced that it received from all eligible satellite operators (i.e., Claro, Eutelsat, Intelsat, SES, and Telesat) their commitments to meet an accelerated C-band clearing timeline by the end of 2023. Pursuant to the FCC’s C-band order, meeting this accelerated timeline will mean the satellite operators will be eligible for up to $9.7 billion in accelerated relocation payments plus reasonable relocation costs as paid for by the new licensees in the band. The FCC is planning to auction 3.7-4.0 GHz spectrum later this year in December 2020. Without the accelerated timeline and incentive payments, the C-band was mandated to be cleared by the end of 2025.
