In March, Ofcom revealed strategies to award spectrum in the 26GHz and 40GHz bands for 5G and other mobile innovations
U.K. telecom regulator Ofcom validated strategies to award millimeter wave (mmWave) spectrum however revealed it will not hold an auction up until a choice has actually been made by the nation’s competitors authorities on a proposed merger in between regional providers Vodafone and 3 UK.
Ofcom noted it chose to postpone the timelines that it had described in March to hold the auction for city licenses in the 26 GHz and 40 GHz bands for 5G and other mobile innovations in the very first quarter of next year.
With the proposed merger in between Vodafone and 3 UK revealed in June, the regulator stated it does not anticipate a choice from the Competitors and Markets Authority (CMA) up until September 2024.
” To prevent the danger of an ineffective allotment of spectrum, we have actually chosen to postpone starting the auction procedure. For that reason, we will not start the auction procedure up until the CMA has actually taken its choice on the proposed merger. We for that reason do not anticipate the award procedure to start prior to Q3 FY 2024/25,” Ofcom stated
When a choice on the merger is reached, Ofcom stated it will go on with a strategy to auction 6 ghz of frequencies in the 2 bands, granting licenses for 15-year terms.
Ofcom had actually formerly stated that the brand-new spectrum will enable mobile operators to enhance mobile services in areas and locations with a great deal of mobile users, such as train stations, football arenas and shows.
” In the 68 significant towns and cities, in which we anticipates the greatest volume of mmWave release, we will both: appoint regional licenses on a very first come, initially served basis, utilizing our Shared Gain access to licensing structure and award citywide licenses by auction,” Ofcom stated.
” In Other Places in the U.K., we anticipate releases to be sparser, therefore we will appoint regional licenses on a very first come, initially served basis, utilizing our Shared Gain access to licensing structure,” Ofcom included.
Ofcom stated it means to release later on this year a declaration and more assessment setting out its choices and more propositions on the style of the auction and a draft of the auction policies.
In Might 2021, the U.K. finished its newest 5G spectrum auction, raising an overall of ⤠1.35 billion (presently $1.65 billion).
In this procedure, mobile operator EE protected 2 à 10 megahertz of paired frequency spectrum in the 700 MHz band at an expense of ⤠280 million; 20 megahertz of supplemental downlink spectrum in the 700 MHz band at an expense of ⤠4 million; and 40 megahertz in the 3.6-3.8 GHz band at an expense of ⤠168 million.
3 UK paid ⤠280 million for 2 à 10 megahertz of paired frequency spectrum in the 700 MHz band, while O2 protected 2 à 10 megahertz of paired frequency spectrum in the 700 MHz band at an expense of ⤠280 million; and 40 megahertz in the 3.6-3.8 GHz band at an expense of ⤠168 million.
On the other hand, Vodafone paid ⤠176.4 million for 40 megahertz in the 3.6-3.8 GHz band.
In 2019, U.K. telcos likewise gotten spectrum for the arrangement of 5G services. These frequencies made it possible for the operators to introduce 5G services in 2019, making the U.K. among the most industrialized markets in Europe in regards to 5G releases.