The FCC unanimously adopted its proposed framework for the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) auction (Auction 105) for county-sized priority access licenses (PALs). Up to seven PALs will be available in each county with a limit of four for a single bidder, and PALs will be afforded exclusive and protected operations in the 3.5 GHz band. As expected, Auction 105 is scheduled to commence on June 25, 2020 with the short-form application window opening March 26 and closing April 9, 2020. Auction 105 will include bidding credits for small businesses and rural service providers as well as for licenses in Tribal land areas. Auction 105 will not include package bidding on the county-based PALs and will include various bidding credits for small businesses, rural service providers, and licenses serving eligible Tribal lands. Given the rapid schedule, parties interested in participating should conduct due diligence and prepare right away. The final version of the Auction 105 public notice has not yet been released.
