The FCC here in the U.S. has just approved a plan by AT&T that would let it use spectrum holdings it previously acquired. For several years now, AT&T has held 30MHz of WCS spectrum, but was unable to use it because of potential conflicts with adjacent spectrum owned by satellite radio provider Sirius XM. The plan -- which was approved unanimously by the FCC -- will allow AT&T to utilize 20MHz of the 30MHz it owns, leaving the last 10MHz as a buffer zone between its operation and Sirius XM's.
The end result of this plan being approved is that AT&T can move forward in applying this new 20MHz of spectrum to their expanding LTE network. AT&T has been buying additional WCS spectrum licenses as of late in preparation for the approval of this plan. Now that it has the legal ability to operate in that space, that will all pay off.
Source: WSJ
