The Big Beautiful Bill: New Spectrum coming … but New Money?

By Shane McClelland, VP Strategy and Business Development, Head of Emerging RAN Solutions, Ericsson

Note: This blog was produced under WIA’s Innovation and Technology Council (ITC). The ITC is the forum for forecasting the future of the wireless industry. Participants explore developments in the wider wireless industry, from 5G network monetization trends and streamlining infrastructure deployment to future spectrum needs and cell site power issues. The group is publishing a series of thought-leadership pieces throughout 2024. These views are not a WIA endorsement of a particular company, product, policy or technology.

Congress has just dropped a legislative game-changer — the “Big Beautiful Bill” — and it’s poised to ripple through every corner of the wireless ecosystem (more details here: Unpacking the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”: What H.R. 1 Means for Communications Businesses). In essence, it’s a sweeping mandate to open up hundreds of megahertz of mid-band spectrum between 1.3 GHz and 10.5 GHz for mobile broadband services.

For wireless infrastructure providers this might be considered more than policy; it sets the stage for the wireless industry’s next decade of potential business growth.

However, it’s not as simple as flipping a switch. Let’s break down why this matters, what’s in play, and the pragmatic steps needed to turn this legislative promise into new money for the wireless industry.

Why this Spectrum Pipeline Matters

Mid-band spectrum is considered the sweet spot for mobile operators, delivering the right balance between coverage and high capacity. The bands in play, from the low 3 GHz range up into the 6 GHz range, can carry massive data loads while still covering meaningful distances. This makes them prime candidates for densification at macro RAN sites and street-level deployments that wireless infrastructure providers can host.

The bill requires the FCC to auction at least 300 megahertz in the near term, with another 500 megahertz identified for full-power commercial use over the next four years. More spectrum means operators will more than likely deploy new radios, new antennas, new sectors, and in some cases may even need new cell sites. As such, wireless infrastructure providers can benefit from:

• Additional colocation fees as carriers add equipment to existing towers.
• Amendment revenue from upgrading site infrastructure to handle additional antennas, radios, power, and backhaul.
• Build-to-suit demand for new sites in coverage gaps and diverse locations.

In addition, the legislation extends the FCC’s auction authority to 2034, which means the spectrum pipeline isn’t just a one-off event — it’s a sustained roadmap. Wireless infrastructure providers can plan multi-year capital allocation knowing that more bands will keep coming to market.

What’s Not on the Table (Yet)

The excitement is real, but so are some of the carve-outs:

• 3.1–3.45 GHz: Locked down for the U.S. Department of Defense’s radar systems.
• 7.4–8.4 GHz: A federal stronghold for satellites, space research, and meteorology.
  These aren’t going to auction. If they enter commercial service at all, it will likely be through complex spectrum sharing arrangements that will take some time to mature.

Other bands are also under study — such as 2.7–2.9 GHz, 4.4–4.94 GHz (DoD use), and 4.94–4.99 GHz (public safety).  Making these bands available for mobile commercial services use will require significant technical coordination and policy negotiation before tower crews see a single new radio go up.

The Pragmatic Road to New Money

While a great step forward, legislation alone doesn’t create leases — execution does. Here’s what has to happen before, and what wireless infrastructure providers can do to see some new money:

• Federal Studies & NTIA Analysis The Bill funds $50 million in spectrum feasibility studies, focusing on how to reallocate or share sensitive federal bands. These studies will determine not just which frequencies are viable, but also other technical constraints (e.g. power limits, geographic exclusions) might apply. Wireless infrastructure providers should track these closely to predict where and how infrastructure demand will materialize.
• Auction & License Awards Spectrum identified for commercial use must go through FCC competitive bidding. Even with aggressive timelines, the first major auction for these new bands could still be 18–24 months away — and that’s the near-termscenario.  That said, based on the compressed timelines in the legislation, spectrum should come available at a quicker pace.  Streamlining permitting and deployment will be a competitive advantage.
• Operator Deployment Strategies Not every licensed megahertz will result in a tower build. Operators may initially augment current deployments in urban and high-traffic areas before expanding to suburban or more rural geographies. Wireless infrastructure providers should identify priority locations by understanding MNO traffic and performance metrics to drive the earliest build-out.  For more insights on this, see my earlier blog: The importance of RAN uplink performance and its impact on wireless infrastructure.  In addition, diversity in site types at street-level and in-building will create a distinct advantage.
• Infrastructure Readiness Deploying mid-band spectrum efficiently typically requires radios using active antenna systems (AAS).  This often requires structural reinforcements, power system upgrades, and backhaul upgrades to existing towers and other RAN site locations. Providers who invest early in fiber connections, power redundancy, and higher-load structural capacity will be the first to capture amendment and co-location deals.

The Bottom Line
The Big Beautiful Bill could ignite one of the largest mid-band expansion waves since the CBRS and C-band rollouts that started in 2020.  The Big Beautiful Bill delivers what the industry has been clamoring for — a clear spectrum policy and a forward-looking pipeline that removes uncertainty. It lays the foundation for sustained growth, giving wireless operators and wireless infrastructure providers the visibility they need to plan, collaborate, and invest. But a blueprint isn’t a building. Critical work remains: resolving federal incumbent issues, finalizing auction timelines, setting technical rules, and aligning deployment strategies. If stakeholders execute with urgency and coordination, this legislation can transform from a promising policy into the tangible coverage, capacity, and connectivity gains Americans depend on.