OFCOM Announce 4G Mobile Spectrum Bidders, Auction to Start January

LONDON--Ofcom, the independent regulator and competition authority for the U.K. communications industries, Thursday announced the bidders in the forthcoming 4G mobile spectrum auction, adding that the bidding will start in January 2013.

MAIN FACTS:

-The following organizations have qualified to bid in the auction: Everything Everywhere Limited U.K.; HKT U.K. Company Ltd--a subsidiary of PCCW Ltd: Hutchison 3G U.K. Ltd: MLL Telecom Ltd: Niche Spectrum Ventures Ltd--a subsidiary of BT Group PLC (BT.A): Telefonica U.K. Ltd and Vodafone Ltd.

-Bidders will be competing to acquire new capacity to roll out superfast 4G mobile broadband services to cities, towns and villages across the U.K.

-Bidders will be competing for spectrum in two separate bands - 800 MHz and 2.6 GHz. The lower frequency 800 MHz band is part of the 'digital dividend' freed up when analogue terrestrial TV was switched off, which is ideal for widespread mobile coverage.

-The higher frequency 2.6 GHz band is ideal for delivering the capacity needed to deliver faster speeds. These two bands add up to 250 MHz of additional mobile spectrum, compared to 333 MHz in use Thursday. Both bands are being packaged into smaller lots for the auction.

-Write to Razak Musah Baba at [e-mail]

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