FCC approval commercializes much needed mid-band spectrum

3 min readUpdated Jun 1, 2025Jan 29, 202011:02 PM

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The mid-band spectrum is the prize behind T-Mobile’s proposed merger with Sprint. The latter owns a hoard of 2.5GHz spectrum and T-Mobile wants it. Why? As T-Mobile CEO John Legere said under oath earlier this month, with Sprint’s spectrum T-Mobile will “triple the total 5G capacity of standalone T-Mobile and Sprint combined.” If the deal doesn’t get done, Legere says that the company will “exhaust capacity in the next two to four years” in some markets. T-Mobile is looking to combine the best attributes of its 600MHz low-band spectrum, Sprint’s 2.5GHz mid-band spectrum, and T-Mobile’s ultra-high mmWave spectrum.

Low-band airwaves travel farther and penetrate buildings better, but they don’t offer the download data speeds and capacity that mmWave does. And T-Mobile says it needs Sprint’s spectrum to help it cover more rural and low-income Americans with 5G signals. If the merger is not approved, you can expect Legere and company to participate in the C-Band auction. You might recall that in 2017, the wireless provider spent $7.99 billion to snap up 31MHz of 600MHz spectrum during an FCC auction.

There is another way for U.S. carriers to obtain mid-band airwaves. Last month we told you about the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) that makes up a 150MHz wide section of the 3.5GHz band (3.5GHz to 3.7GHz). Also known as Band 48, the FCC today certified four companies from the CBRS Alliance giving them the ability to use this band. Those four outfits are CommScope, Federated Wireless, Inc. (Federated), Google and Sony, Inc. (Sony). The quartet will be able to run full commercial operations in the 3.5GHz band.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai seemed to be pretty pleased with today’s action by his agency. Pai said, “The FCC has made it a priority to free up mid-band spectrum for advanced wireless services like 5G. And today, I’m pleased to announce the latest step to achieve that priority: the approval of four systems that will enable the 3.5 GHz band to be put to use for the benefit of American consumers and businesses. As with all of our efforts to execute on the 5G FAST plan, we’re pushing to get next-generation wireless services deployed in the 3.5 GHz band as quickly and efficiently as possible. I would like to thank Commissioner Mike O’Rielly for his leadership throughout this proceeding as well as the FCC staff and those in the private sector who have worked so hard to achieve this milestone.”

U.S. wireless providers who are planning on using Band 48 are no doubt aware that the military first had control of these frequencies and if they require the use of some of the spectrum, they will get the first crack at it while commercial users will be reassigned to other airwaves.

Band 48 is being called On-Go and right now phones that can use it include the Google Pixel 4, Pixel 4 XL, LG G8 ThinQ, LG G8X ThinQ, LG V50 ThinQ 5G, OnePlus 7 Pro, OnePlus 7T, Samsung’s 2019 flagships, and the 5G Moto Mod. At first, these airwaves will be used for LTE signals with plans on using Band 48 for 5G in the near future.

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Questions & Answers

Which companies have been approved by the FCC to use the 3.5GHz band for commercial operations?

The FCC has certified CommScope, Federated Wireless, Inc. (Federated), Google and Sony, Inc. (Sony). These four companies from the CBRS Alliance are now able to run full commercial operations in the 3.5GHz band, also known as Band 48.

Why is T-Mobile interested in Sprint’s 2.5GHz spectrum?

T-Mobile wants Sprint's 2.5GHz mid-band spectrum to significantly increase its 5G capacity and combine it with its existing low-band and mmWave spectrum. This is crucial for covering more rural and low-income Americans with 5G signals.

What happens if the T-Mobile/Sprint merger does not receive approval?

If the merger isn't approved, T-Mobile's CEO, John Legere, stated the company expects to exhaust capacity in some markets within two to four years. T-Mobile would likely participate in the C-Band auction instead to obtain mid-band airwaves.

What is the primary characteristic of the 3.5GHz band (Band 48) that commercial users need to be aware of?

The military previously controlled the frequencies within Band 48. Commercial users are aware that if the military requires some of the spectrum, they will have first priority, and commercial users would then be reassigned to other airwaves.

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