FCC Sets Upper C-Band Auction as FAA Says Radar Altimeters Can Coexist with 5G | Aviation International News

Regulations and Government

FAA Backs Radar Altimeter 5G Coexistence in FCC C-Band Auction

FCC vote set for July 22 on 160-MHz auction order

Brendan Carr-FCC Chair — FCC Chair, Brendan Carr © C-Span

By Amy Wilder • Writer

July 1, 2026

The FCC will vote on July 22 on an order to auction 160 MHz of spectrum in the upper C-band (3.98 to 4.14 GHz) next year, a move the agency said exceeds the 100-MHz minimum Congress established. The auction would create a contiguous 440-MHz block when combined with the lower C-band (3.7 to 3.98 GHz), which the FCC previously cleared.

The FAA issued a statement saying it is confident that 5G signals from the auction band can safely coexist with aviation “after years of FAA-led testing and technical analysis.” The agency said it worked with the FCC to incorporate safeguards into the auction order, including limiting the power of auctioned 5G signals to levels the FAA has determined are safe for aviation, protecting the radar altimeter band with a buffer band between it and the auctioned frequencies, and limiting the height of 5G transmission towers.

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