LTN surpasses 3,000 satellite-to-IP migrations as FCC auctions Upper C-Band

The FCC's move to auction the Upper C-Band by 2027 creates a hard deadline for the industry's departure from legacy satellite transponders. Broadcasters must now choose between hybrid or pure-IP pathways to maintain distribution continuity. For the broader ecosystem, this shift signals the end of C-Band as a reliable primary transport medium and cements software-defined IP networking as the industry standard. As spectrum availability tightens, watch for major broadcasters to publicly designate IP as their primary distribution path, a move expected before year-end to preempt spectrum-driven outages.

The FCC’s July 2026 vote to auction 160 MHz of the Upper C-Band marks a significant acceleration of the U.S. spectrum repack. Per FCC reporting in July 2026, the auction will offer 3,248 new licenses with the goal of creating a 440 MHz "super band" for 5G and 6G services when combined with the lower C-Band. While the auction is slated for completion by July 2027, winning bidders are not expected to launch commercial services on these frequencies until December 2030 in top markets. This timeline provides a narrow window for incumbent satellite users to relocate their operations to the remaining 40 MHz guard band at 4.16-4.20 GHz.

Satellite operators face massive capital requirements to accommodate this shift. Per Light Reading, June 2026, SES estimates the cost of clearing 160 MHz of the Upper C-Band at approximately $3.6 billion. This includes the procurement and launch of five new hybrid Ku-band satellites with C-band uplinks to maintain service for existing clients. These technical transitions are occurring alongside broader industry consolidation, including SES’s roughly $3.1 billion acquisition of Intelsat, which received federal law enforcement clearance in July 2025 according to Broadband Breakfast.

The technical shift toward IP is also driven by internal operational pressures rather than just regulatory mandates. Per Haivision’s 2026 Broadcast Transformation Report, 78% of broadcasters now use the SRT protocol for video transport, reflecting a five-year upward trend in IP-based contribution. Furthermore, NewscastStudio reported in December 2025 that aging hardware and the efficiency of software-defined processing are pushing organizations toward IP-native workflows. While 82% of broadcasters still utilize some SDI infrastructure, the adoption of SMPTE ST 2110 is rising as teams seek the 40-60% operational savings common in managed IP environments.