Plain Language Explanation of S. 2787 (5G SALE Act)

This new law is called the 5G Spectrum Authority Licensing Enforcement Act, or the 5G SALE Act for short.

What is this law about?

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) oversees the licenses for using certain radio frequencies, called "spectrum," which are essential for wireless services like 5G networks.

The FCC used to have the authority to hold auctions where companies bid to get licenses to use specific radio frequencies. But this authority was set to expire on March 9, 2023.

What does the law do?

Even though the FCC’s auction authority expired on March 9, 2023, some companies successfully won bids in auctions held before that date but had not yet received their licenses.

This law allows the FCC to process (finish approving) the applications and officially grant licenses to those winning bidders, but only for frequencies between 2496 MHz and 2690 MHz, which are frequencies used for wireless communication like 5G.

The FCC has a 90-day window, starting from the day this law was passed, to process these pending applications.

Why is this important?

• It helps companies that won 5G spectrum auctions get their licenses without unnecessary delays.
• It ensures that the allocated spectrum is put to use quickly for improving wireless services.
• It prevents bureaucratic gaps caused by the expiration of the FCC’s auction authority.

In simple terms: If a company won a 5G spectrum auction before March 9, 2023, but hasn’t yet received its license, the FCC is now officially allowed to finish the process and give them the license within 90 days.