UK's Ofcom Outlines Rules for 5G Spectrum Auction

By Adria Calatayud

Ofcom, the U.K.'s telecommunications regulator, on Friday outlined the rules for a coming mobile-airwaves auction which will support the rollout of next-generation 5G networks.

The regulator said it will release spectrum in two different frequency bands--80 megahertz will be available in the 700 megahertz band and 120 megahertz of spectrum in the 3.6 to 3.8 gigahertz band. The latter are part of the primary band for 5G and capable of carrying lots of data-hungry connections in concentrated areas, Ofcom said.

Ofcom said it will impose a 37% cap on the overall spectrum that any one mobile company can hold following the auction to ensure competition in the market.

The auction will include a principal stage, in which companies will bid for airwaves in separate lots to determine how much spectrum each wins, and an assignment stage to determine the specific frequencies that winning bidders will be allocated, the regulator said.

Ofcom said the auction won't include coverage obligations following confirmation from the U.K. government of an agreement with the four mobile network operators--BT Group PLC, Vodafone Group PLC, Telefonica SA's O2 and CK Hutchison Holdings Ltd.'s Three--to set up a shared rural network to improve mobile coverage.

Write to Adria Calatayud at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

March 13, 2020 07:21 ET (11:21 GMT)

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