The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has regained its ability to authorize spectrum auctions once again.

It comes after Congress voted to pass through President Donald Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" yesterday (July 3).

The bill was passed by a Republican majority in the House of Representatives after the Senate’s version was finalized earlier this week. It was won by a vote of 218 to 214.

As such, the bill paves the way for the FCC to once again hold spectrum auctions, something it hasn't been able to do since Congress allowed the FCC's authority to lapse in March 2023, for the first time ever.

President Trump is expected to sign the bill into law today (July 4).

“I want to extend my congratulations to President Trump and Congressional Republicans on securing this big win for the country," said Brendan Carr, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission.

"Restoring US leadership in wireless is key to the nation’s economic and national security interests. And the One Big Beautiful Bill succeeds where past efforts failed. The legislation restores the FCC’s spectrum auction authority after it lapsed in 2023, and it does so by establishing a robust pipeline of spectrum for years to come. This will create jobs, encourage innovation, and expand high-speed connections to more Americans."

The lapse has meant that the FCC has been unable to auction off additional 5G spectrum for mobile carriers in the US, something that has delayed network rollouts.

Since 1994, the US has conducted competitive auctions through the FCC, as opposed to assigning spectrum through comparative hearings under which the specific merits of each applicant are litigated.

This initial authority for the FCC was set to expire on September 30, 1998, but was extended by Congress, and has been several times since. The most recent long-term extension was granted as part of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, and expired on September 30, 2022.

However, since then, President Biden temporarily extended the legislation an additional four times, with the latest extension signed on December 30, 2022, lasting through to March 9, 2023, when it completely lapsed.

AT&T has welcomed the result in Congress this week, noting that the bill "creates a pipeline of midband spectrum that will help meet soaring consumer demand and keep the US technologically competitive with other countries."

The Competitive Carriers Association (CCA) has also welcomed the decision to pass the bill, noting that the ability to auction spectrum will close the digital divide for rural America.

“This long overdue action will help meet consumer demand, remove obstacles to US global leadership, and is essential to closing the digital divide for rural America," said Tim Donovan, CEO, Competitive Carriers Association.