United States Completes $3.57 Billion AWS-3 Spectrum Auction as Verizon, T-Mobile and AT&T Secure New Frequencies
The United States has completed its first major Federal Communications Commission spectrum auction in almost four years, assigning all 200 Advanced Wireless Services (AWS-3) licences offered through FCC Auction 113.
Bidding began on 2 June 2026 and concluded on 23 June after 72 rounds. Seventeen qualified bidders participated in the process, with seven ultimately securing spectrum. The auction generated approximately $3.573 billion in gross proceeds and $3.572 billion in net proceeds after applicable bidding credits.
The frequencies cover portions of the 1695–1710 MHz, 1755–1780 MHz and 2155–2180 MHz bands. The available licences represented AWS-3 spectrum that had remained in the FCC's inventory following bid defaults or withdrawals associated with the original AWS-3 auction held more than a decade earlier.
FCC Auction 113 Results at a Glance
| Auction | Spectrum | Licences Offered | Licences Won | Qualified Bidders | Winning Bidders | Gross Proceeds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FCC Auction 113 | AWS-3 | 200 | 200 | 17 | 7 | $3.5728892 billion |
No licences remained with the FCC after bidding concluded, meaning the complete Auction 113 inventory was assigned.
Spectrum Included in the 2026 AWS-3 Auction
Auction 113 covered several different AWS-3 channel blocks. Most of the spectrum consisted of paired frequencies using lower-band spectrum for mobile uplink transmissions and corresponding upper-band spectrum for base-station downlink transmissions.
The 1695–1710 MHz portion followed a different structure and was offered as unpaired spectrum intended for low-power mobile transmit operations.
| Block | Frequency Range | Total Bandwidth per Licence | Configuration | Geographic Licence Type | Licences Offered |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 | 1695–1700 MHz | 5 MHz | Unpaired | Economic Area (EA) | 1 |
| B1 | 1700–1710 MHz | 10 MHz | Unpaired | Economic Area (EA) | 1 |
| G | 1755–1760 / 2155–2160 MHz | 10 MHz | 2 × 5 MHz FDD | Cellular Market Area (CMA) | 152 |
| H | 1760–1765 / 2160–2165 MHz | 10 MHz | 2 × 5 MHz FDD | Economic Area (EA) | 14 |
| I | 1765–1770 / 2165–2170 MHz | 10 MHz | 2 × 5 MHz FDD | Economic Area (EA) | 29 |
| J | 1770–1780 / 2170–2180 MHz | 20 MHz | 2 × 10 MHz FDD | Economic Area (EA) | 3 |
Of the 200 licences offered, 152 were G-block licences based on Cellular Market Areas. The remaining 48 licences used the larger Economic Area geography and were distributed across the A1, B1, H, I and J channel blocks.
Seven Companies Win Spectrum in Auction 113
The auction was dominated financially by the three nationwide mobile network groups, but four additional companies also obtained spectrum.
| Winning Bidder | Associated Company / Brand | Licences Won | Gross Winning Bids | Net Winning Bids |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cellco Partnership | Verizon | 82 | $3,162,445,000 | $3,162,445,000 |
| T-Mobile License LLC | T-Mobile | 102 | $277,787,000 | $277,787,000 |
| AT&T Spectrum Holdings II, LLC | AT&T | 10 | $120,774,000 | $120,774,000 |
| Space Exploration Holdings, LLC | SpaceX | 2 | $8,490,200 | $8,490,200 |
| Blue Ridge Wireless II LLC | Blue Ridge Wireless | 1 | $2,090,000 | $1,567,500 |
| Conundrum Wireless L.L.C. | EchoStar | 2 | $1,228,000 | $1,228,000 |
| Citizens Band License Company, LLC | Citizens Band | 1 | $75,000 | $56,250 |
| Total | - | 200 | $3,572,889,200 | $3,572,347,950 |
Blue Ridge Wireless and Citizens Band qualified for 25% small-business bidding credits. Combined bidding-credit discounts across the auction amounted to $541,250.
Verizon Accounts for Most of the Auction's Financial Value
Verizon, bidding through Cellco Partnership, was by far the largest spender in Auction 113. The operator acquired 82 licences for approximately $3.162 billion.
Although Verizon did not win the largest number of licences, its acquisitions included a substantial share of the higher-value Economic Area licences serving major population centres.
Verizon's winning spectrum was distributed across the G, H, I and J channel blocks. It secured 51 G-block licences, 12 H-block licences, 16 I-block licences and all three J-block licences offered in the auction.
| Verizon Block | Licences Won |
|---|---|
| G | 51 |
| H | 12 |
| I | 16 |
| J | 3 |
| Total | 82 |
The J-block acquisitions are particularly notable because each licence represents a paired 2 × 10 MHz allocation between 1770–1780 MHz and 2170–2180 MHz, twice the bandwidth of the individual G, H and I licences.
T-Mobile Wins the Largest Number of Licences
T-Mobile License LLC secured 102 of the 200 licences, giving T-Mobile the largest licence count of any Auction 113 participant.
The company's total expenditure of approximately $277.8 million was considerably lower than Verizon's despite the larger number of licences. This reflects the different geographic areas and channel blocks targeted by the two operators.
| T-Mobile Block | Licences Won |
|---|---|
| G | 91 |
| H | 1 |
| I | 10 |
| Total | 102 |
The majority of T-Mobile's acquisitions were therefore 2 × 5 MHz G-block licences based on Cellular Market Areas.
AT&T Adds Ten AWS-3 Licences
AT&T Spectrum Holdings II secured ten licences for a total of $120.774 million.
Eight of the company's licences are in the G block, while two are in the I block.
| AT&T Block | Licences Won |
|---|---|
| G | 8 |
| I | 2 |
| Total | 10 |
AT&T's acquisition was substantially smaller than those of Verizon and T-Mobile in both licence count and total expenditure, indicating a more selective participation in the residual AWS-3 inventory.
SpaceX Acquires AWS-3 Spectrum for the First Time Through an FCC Auction
Space Exploration Holdings, LLC, the SpaceX entity participating in Auction 113, obtained two licences for a combined $8.49 million.
One of the acquisitions was the auction's single B1 licence, covering 1700–1710 MHz in the Cincinnati-Hamilton Economic Area. The B1 block consists of 10 MHz of unpaired spectrum authorized for low-power mobile transmissions.
SpaceX also obtained one paired G-block licence, giving the company a small but notable terrestrial AWS-3 spectrum position following the auction.
EchoStar Subsidiary Conundrum Wireless Wins Two Licences
Conundrum Wireless L.L.C., a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar, secured two licences with combined winning bids of approximately $1.228 million.
The company obtained one H-block licence and one I-block licence. Both channel categories provide paired 2 × 5 MHz spectrum.
EchoStar's participation was particularly significant because much of the spectrum being re-auctioned originated from licences affected by earlier AWS-3 bid defaults. Auction 113 returned those frequencies to competitive bidding and ultimately placed the entire inventory with new winning bidders.
Blue Ridge Wireless and Citizens Band Secure Smaller Regional Holdings
Two smaller participants each obtained a single licence.
Blue Ridge Wireless II won the auction's only A1 licence. The allocation provides 5 MHz of unpaired spectrum in the 1695–1700 MHz range. Its gross bid was $2.09 million, reduced to a net amount of $1.5675 million after application of its 25% small-business bidding credit.
Citizens Band License Company won one G-block licence. Its $75,000 gross winning bid was reduced to $56,250 after its applicable 25% bidding credit.
Complete Distribution of Auction 113 Licences by Channel Block
| Block | Winning Bidders | Total Licences |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | Blue Ridge Wireless: 1 | 1 |
| B1 | SpaceX: 1 | 1 |
| G | T-Mobile: 91; Verizon: 51; AT&T: 8; SpaceX: 1; Citizens Band: 1 | 152 |
| H | Verizon: 12; T-Mobile: 1; Conundrum Wireless: 1 | 14 |
| I | Verizon: 16; T-Mobile: 10; AT&T: 2; Conundrum Wireless: 1 | 29 |
| J | Verizon: 3 | 3 |
| Total | - | 200 |
This distribution shows that the highly fragmented G-block inventory accounted for more than three-quarters of all licences in the auction, while the larger Economic Area licences represented a much smaller number of individual spectrum rights.
AWS-3 Uses Both Unpaired and Paired Spectrum
The spectrum configuration in Auction 113 is important when interpreting the results. The frequencies do not represent a single contiguous nationwide spectrum block.
The A1 and B1 licences within 1695–1710 MHz are unpaired and are authorized for low-power mobile transmissions.
The remaining AWS-3 frequencies use paired spectrum. Mobile devices transmit in the 1755–1780 MHz range, while base stations and fixed systems transmit in the corresponding 2155–2180 MHz range.
| Lower Frequency Range | Upper Frequency Range | Direction |
|---|---|---|
| 1695–1710 MHz | - | Unpaired low-power mobile transmit |
| 1755–1780 MHz | 2155–2180 MHz | Mobile uplink / base-station downlink |
The combination gives mobile operators additional flexible-use spectrum within a frequency range that can complement existing AWS network holdings and provide additional capacity for modern mobile broadband networks.
Economic Areas and Cellular Market Areas Create a Highly Regional Auction
Unlike auctions involving uniform nationwide spectrum rights, Auction 113 consisted of individual licences covering different regional markets.
Economic Areas are comparatively large geographic licensing areas that can encompass several metropolitan and surrounding markets. Cellular Market Areas are smaller geographic units originally developed around metropolitan and rural cellular markets.
For Auction 113, all 152 G-block licences used Cellular Market Areas, while the remaining 48 licences were based on Economic Areas.
This geographic structure explains why the number of licences won by an operator does not directly indicate the amount of population or commercial value represented by those licences. A single large-market Economic Area licence can carry significantly greater value than multiple licences covering smaller regional markets.
New York Licence Demonstrates the Value of Major-Market AWS-3 Spectrum
One of the highest-value individual licences illustrates the difference between licence count and economic value.
Cellco Partnership secured the I-block licence covering the New York-Long Island Economic Area for $924.199 million. The licence provides paired 2 × 5 MHz spectrum at 1765–1770 MHz and 2165–2170 MHz across one of the largest population centres included in Auction 113.
This single licence represented more value than the combined spectrum spending of all winning bidders other than Verizon itself.
Auction Returns Previously Idle AWS-3 Spectrum to Commercial Use
Auction 113 was not a conventional release of an entirely new frequency band. The 200 licences consisted of AWS-3 spectrum already designated for commercial wireless use but retained in the FCC's inventory following bid defaults or withdrawals associated with the original AWS-3 auction.
Those frequencies had consequently remained unavailable to commercial licensees for more than a decade.
The 2026 process returned the residual inventory to competitive bidding and successfully assigned every licence offered.
FCC Spectrum Auctions Resume After Almost Four Years
Auction 113 also marked the return of the FCC's competitive spectrum auction programme following a lengthy interruption.
The Commission's general spectrum auction authority had lapsed in 2023, preventing the FCC from continuing its normal programme of commercial spectrum assignments.
Congress subsequently directed the Commission to auction the remaining AWS-3 licences, enabling Auction 113 to proceed. It became the first FCC spectrum auction since the agency's previous auction activity in 2022.
Auction Proceeds Support the Secure Network Equipment Replacement Programme
The proceeds from Auction 113 have an additional policy purpose beyond assigning wireless spectrum.
Up to $3.3 billion of auction proceeds are designated to cover amounts associated with the FCC's Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program and related federal funding requirements.
The programme, frequently referred to as the "rip and replace" programme, reimburses qualifying communications providers for costs associated with removing, replacing and disposing of designated Huawei and ZTE equipment and services from U.S. communications networks.
The $3.57 billion gross auction result therefore combines spectrum-market allocation with funding for a significant communications-network security programme.
From 17 Qualified Bidders to Seven Winners
Nineteen short-form applications were initially submitted for participation in Auction 113. Following the FCC's application review and upfront-payment process, 17 applicants qualified to participate when bidding opened on 2 June.
After 72 bidding rounds, seven companies finished with winning licences.
| Auction Stage | Number |
|---|---|
| Short-form applications received | 19 |
| Qualified bidders | 17 |
| Winning bidders | 7 |
| Licences offered | 200 |
| Licences won | 200 |
| FCC-held licences after auction | 0 |
Post-Auction Licensing Process
The end of bidding did not immediately convert every winning bid into an issued spectrum licence. Winning bidders were required to submit long-form FCC Form 601 applications, complete required payments and satisfy the Commission's licensing review.
Long-form applications were due on 13 July 2026, followed by final payment requirements later in July.
On 26 August 2026, the FCC's Wireless Telecommunications Bureau announced the grant of six long-form applications covering 199 Auction 113 licences after determining that the applications were complete, compliant with the Commission's rules and fully paid.
The August grant notice therefore represented a later administrative licensing milestone and should be distinguished from the auction itself, which had already concluded in June.
United States AWS-3 Auction 113 Timeline
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 26 March 2026 | FCC announces status of applications to participate |
| 1 May 2026 | 17 applicants confirmed as qualified bidders |
| 2 June 2026 | Auction 113 bidding begins |
| 23 June 2026 | Bidding concludes after 72 rounds |
| 26 June 2026 | FCC publishes winning bidders and final auction results |
| 13 July 2026 | Deadline for winning bidders' long-form licence applications |
| 26 August 2026 | FCC announces grant of six applications covering 199 licences |
Summary of the United States AWS-3 Spectrum Auction 2026
| Category | Result |
|---|---|
| Auction | FCC Auction 113 – AWS-3 |
| Spectrum | 1695–1710 MHz, 1755–1780 MHz and 2155–2180 MHz |
| Auction opened | 2 June 2026 |
| Auction concluded | 23 June 2026 |
| Number of bidding rounds | 72 |
| Qualified bidders | 17 |
| Winning bidders | 7 |
| Licences offered | 200 |
| Licences awarded through bidding | 200 |
| Gross proceeds | $3,572,889,200 |
| Net proceeds after bidding credits | $3,572,347,950 |
| Largest spender | Verizon / Cellco Partnership – $3.162445 billion |
| Largest number of licences | T-Mobile – 102 licences |
Outlook for AWS-3 Spectrum in the United States
Auction 113 closes a long-running chapter in the allocation of the United States' AWS-3 spectrum inventory. Frequencies that had remained with the FCC following earlier auction defaults and withdrawals have now been reassigned through competitive bidding, with all 200 available licences finding buyers.
The outcome substantially strengthens Verizon's AWS-3 position in several valuable regional markets, while T-Mobile acquires the broadest portfolio by licence count. AT&T adds a smaller group of targeted licences, and the participation of SpaceX, EchoStar and two smaller regional spectrum buyers broadens the group of companies acquiring frequencies through the process.
The auction also demonstrates continued commercial demand for frequencies in the 1.7 GHz and 2.1 GHz ranges even after several major U.S. mid-band spectrum auctions during the previous decade. These frequencies combine established mobile-band characteristics with compatibility with modern broadband network deployments and can complement operators' existing low-band, C-band and higher-frequency spectrum portfolios.
With Auction 113 completed and the majority of the resulting licences subsequently granted, the FCC is now moving toward additional spectrum releases, including future upper C-band proceedings that are expected to play an important role in the next phase of U.S. mobile network development.
Full spectrum allocation details for the United States are available here: https://www.spectrum-tracker.com/United-States