The C-Band Alliance (CBA), comprised of the leading global satellite operators Intelsat, SES, and Telesat, filed with the Federal Communications Commission today its Treasury Contribution Proposal.
The contribution proposal states that if the FCC adopts the CBA proposal, the CBA commits to pay a portion of net proceeds of a CBA-led auction to the U.S. Treasury using a progressive formula which ranges from 30% to 75% of proceeds depending on the outcome of the auction. This payment to the U.S. Treasury would be calculated after the netting of all costs incurred to plan for and take all actions to implement the CBA proposal to clear 300 MHz of spectrum and is inclusive of all federal income tax liabilities incurred by the CBA member companies as a direct result of the auction.
Further, in order to ensure that all Americans receive the benefits of 5G, the CBA has initiated discussions with members of Congress to develop a proposal to fund the deployment of an open access 5G network for rural broadband, which may include a combination of spectrum and capital contributions.
The CBA market-based proposal has been endorsed by C-band users, potential spectrum bidders, economists, thought leaders and consumer organizations. No other proposal features the ability, experience and technical capacity to ensure a smooth and swift transition of the spectrum. Spectrum cleared with speed and accountability is essential to enabling the era of 5G, which is expected to result in GDP growth and job creation in the United States.