ATR's Norquist Criticizes C-Band Alliance Plan; SES CEO Says It'll Take Work
Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist wrote members of Congress opposing the C-Band Alliance's plan for clearing more than 200 MHz of 3.7-4.2 GHz band (see 1811130055), saying it “misses the mark.” Stakeholders believe the FCC will need to…
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find a compromise between CBA's proposal and rival plans from T-Mobile and others (see 1904250060). The top executive of an alliance member said separately that the transition will take work. The CBA's proposal “is unworkable because it lacks transparency and does not provide a mechanism to reimburse the taxpayers for the sale of this valuable asset,” Norquist said. “Should the CBA produce a new and credible proposal for a secondary market transaction it is worth consideration.” It's “fortunate that the incumbent satellite companies have shown a willingness to work with the FCC to find a win-win solution to re-organizing the band,” Norquist said. The band “is not only the most readily available mid-band spectrum, it is also globally harmonized, a rare valuable benefit that would enable wireless carriers to keep costs lower through economies of scale.” CBA said in a statement it's "appreciative of [ATR] acknowledging" the alliance's bid "to create a fast path to clearing spectrum" for 5G. "We are presently engaged with a number of stakeholders so that we can fully understand the concerns regarding a market-based approach," but it's "our intent to present an approach to the FCC which is fully transparent and responsive to the needs of market participants," CBA said. Relocating C-band customers will require "a significant amount of investment," SES CEO Steve Collar said in an earnings call Friday with analysts, according to a transcript. He said SES isn't focused on C-band clearing as "any potential financial opportunity," at least currently. He said the FCC seems motivated to move on a band-clearing plan "relatively quickly," with "some activity" by the agency in the second half of the year.