Title: 5G Spectrum Act of 2019
Policy area: Science, Technology, Communications

Summary:
5G Spectrum Act of 2019
This bill requires the Federal Communications Commission to conduct a public auction of at least 280 megahertz of mid-band spectrum (the band of frequencies between 3700 megahertz and 4200 megahertz) and to deposit at least 50% of the gross proceeds from such auction in the Treasury.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2881 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 2881

To require the Federal Communications Commission to make not less than 
280 megahertz of spectrum available for terrestrial use, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 18, 2019

 Mr. Wicker (for himself and Mr. Thune) introduced the following bill; 
    which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the Federal Communications Commission to make not less than 
280 megahertz of spectrum available for terrestrial use, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``5G Spectrum Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Federal 
        Communications Commission.
            (2) Covered band.--The term ``covered band'' means the band 
        of frequencies between 3700 megahertz and 4200 megahertz, 
        inclusive.
            (3) Gross proceeds.--The term ``gross proceeds'' means cash 
        proceeds before compensation or relocation (as described in 
        section 3(b)).

SEC. 3. MAKING 280 MEGAHERTZ AVAILABLE.

    (a) Auction.--Not later than December 31, 2020, the Commission 
shall initiate a system of competitive bidding under section 309(j) of 
the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 309(j)), without regard to 
paragraph (15) of that section, to make available for terrestrial use 
not less than 280 megahertz of spectrum, exclusive of guard bands, from 
the covered band.
    (b) Recovery.--Not later than December 31, 2022, the Commission 
shall recover the gross proceeds attributable to the auction conducted 
under subsection (a), less the cost of--
            (1) relocation of incumbent licensed or registered receive-
        only earth station operators operating in the covered band; and
            (2) relocation and compensation of--
                    (A) licensees of spectrum in the covered band; or
                    (B) grantees of market access rights in the 
                contiguous United States to spectrum in the covered 
                band.
    (c) Treatment of Revenues.--Notwithstanding section 309(j)(8) of 
the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 309(j)(8)), of the gross 
proceeds attributable to the auction conducted under subsection (a) of 
this section, the Commission--
            (1) shall deposit not less than 50 percent in the Treasury 
        in accordance with chapter 33 of title 31, United States Code; 
        and
            (2) notwithstanding section 3302 of title 31, United States 
        Code, may transfer a portion of the gross proceeds remaining 
        after compliance with paragraph (1) of this subsection to 
        licensees or grantees of market access rights that relinquish 
        their rights to use spectrum in the covered band for purposes 
        of subsection (a) of this section.
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