The FCC's action appears to resolve a long-simmering dispute between AT&T and Sirius XM concerning the potential for LTE traffic in the contested band to interfere with satellite-radio transmissions.

"The era of regulatory dispute and uncertainty in the WCS band is finally drawing to a close," Joan Marsh, AT&T's vice president of federal regulatory issues, said in a statement.

Marsh said that AT&T plans to deliver service in the WCS band as early as three years from now.

Chris Guttman-McCabe, vice president of regulatory affairs with CTIA, the principal trade association representing the wireless industry, hailed the FCC's move as another mark of progress in the group's policy agenda of making new spectrum available to its members.

"Freeing up underutilized spectrum is a critical component in the effort to meet the rapidly-escalating demand for mobile broadband services," he said in a statement. "Whether through removing regulatory barriers or clearing underutilized spectrum in bands that can be used for mobile services, delivering additional spectrum for mobile broadband allows the U.S. wireless industry to invest billions of dollars every year and deploy world-leading networks, resulting in significant economic benefits for U.S. consumers and businesses."