Including the telecoms giant BT, Ofcom the communications regulator has finally declared the bidders for the anticipated 4G spectrum auction in which it named as the largest ever sale of mobile airwaves in the United Kingdom. Back in the month of July, BT had initially pointed out that it could bid for 4G spectrum and recently it stated that it wouldn’t include anything more however they should still observe some things on what comes out in the Ofcom application process.
Niche Spectrum Ventures, a new subsidiary of BT has applied and qualified for the said auction. Meanwhile, the auction will start on January 2013 and the other organizations that have capabilities to bid in the auction are O2, Vodafine, EE or Everything Everywhere, MLL Telecom, Three and a subsidiary of mobile operator PCCW, the HKT.
To bid for the spectrum, the application deadline was last December 10, 2012. And as the interest of O2, Vodafone, EE and Three were always qualified to bid, it was always a question if what organization would join them as the process starts. On the other side, a new entrant like BT will find it hard to achieve anything from the auction, it was according to Matthew Howett, an Ovum analyst.
Howett added that the process the auction has been developed makes it difficult for a new entrant to go home with any essential amount of spectrum. However, there is a block of spectrum applicable at 2,6GHz that could fascinate a new entrant but if they sweep that spectrum they would be able to send off a service on a regional infrastructure only as there wouldn’t be enough spectrum to launch the service to nationwide basis, except that it signed a national roaming agreement with another operator that offered that service.
Bidders will be contending for spectrum in two determined bands, the 2.6GHz and the 800MHz. The 2.6GHz band is excellent for delivering faster speed, while the lower frequency 800MHz band was authorized when analogue terrestrial TV was switched off. For the upcoming decade and beyond, the 4G auction will be a striving process that will rule the structure of the United Kingdom mobile phone market, it was according to Ed Richard, Ofcom chief executive.
He added that the new 4G services will encourage growth, innovation and investment in the United Kingdom and it will also carry some essential benefits to their consumers by means of faster, better and more stable mobile broadband connections. By January, the bidding process will begin and it is anticipated to take a number of weeks.
Bidders are to be enlightened of what they have gain and its cost with licenses granted and license rates paid. An Ofcom spokesperson said that it should be completed within the first quarter of the year and then a new 4G service will be developed towards the second quarter of 2013. They anticipated some new 4G services to exist from a group of providers in May or June.
REFERENCES:
http://www.computing.co.uk/ctg/news/2233146/ofcom-announces-4g-bidders-bt-included
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tech/news/a446558/ofcom-announces-4g-auction-bidders.html
http://www.broadbandgenie.co.uk/news/20121220-ofcom-announces-bidders-4g-auction-confirms-bt-involved
http://rapidberry.net/ofcom-announces-seven-bidders-participating-in-upcoming-uk-4g-spectrum-auction/
http://www.onenewspage.co.uk/n/Computer+Industry/74rki3csq/Ofcom-announces-4G-bidders-BT-included.htm
http://www.technationnews.com/2012/12/25/ofcom-announces-participants-in-4g-bid-o2-vodafone-ee-and-three-included/
