Advanced Television

Spectrum

C-band pay-out: Intelsat’s complex subsidiary structure

Intelsat has dozens of inter-related subsidiary and sister companies. These associated business are creating significant headaches for its bankruptcy court, Intelsat’s many debtors and arch-rival SES. SES, and some bond holders, are arguing that Intelsat is deliberately using these sister businesses to hide its current and especially future assets. Those future assets include the much-anticipated […]

April 19, 2021By Chris Forrester

Verizon signs C-band tower deals

US multiplay telco Verizon has agreed deals with Crown Castle and SBA, two tower companies already hosting Verizon infrastructure equipment, to speed deployment of C-band equipment in preparation for the launch of 5G Ultra Wideband and fixed wireless broadband service on this newly acquired spectrum. Verizon secured an average of 161 MHz of C-band spectrum […]

April 13, 2021

WBA praises Saudi Arabia’s spectrum designation

The Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA), the body leading development of next-generation Wi-Fi services, commends the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) for their spectrum designation of the entire 6 GHz band (5.925-7.125 GHz) for licence-exempt use. Saudi Arabia is the first country in the Middle East, Europe, or Africa to designate […]

March 31, 2021

UK spectrum auction at negotiation stage

UK comms regulator Ofcom has confirmed that the spectrum auction for the 700 MHz and 3.6-3.8 GHz bands aimed at releasing more airwaves to improve mobile services and support 5G will now move to the negotiation period. Ofcom announced the results of the principal stage of the auction on March 17th. This set out how […]

March 25, 2021By Colin Mann

FCC opens further 5G spectrum

The Federal Communications Commission is making valuable mid-band spectrum in the 3.45-3.55 GHz band available for auction to facilitate 5G deployment across the contiguous United States. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020 required the Commission to commence a system of competitive bidding for licences in the 3.45-3.55 GHz band by the end of 2021. The […]

March 18, 2021By Colin Mann

UK 5G spectrum auction raises £1.35bn

UK comms regulator Ofcom has announced the outcome of the principal stage of its auction to release more airwaves to improve mobile services and support 5G. A total of 200 MHz of spectrum was available to bid for in the auction, split across two bands: 80 MHz of spectrum in the 700 MHz band. These airwaves […]

March 17, 2021By Colin Mann

Ofcom 5G spectrum auction set to start

Mobile operators will begin bidding in the UK’s next spectrum auction from Friday March 12th, comms regulator Ofcom has confirmed. A total of 200 MHz of spectrum is being released through the auction, which will help improve existing mobile services and also support the continued rollout of 5G across the UK. After a pause in […]

March 10, 2021By Colin Mann

South Africa delays spectrum auction again

South Africa has postponed its spectrum auction yet again. This time the reason was a legal objection from the telco provider, Telkom, and broadcaster, e.tv, who secured a ruling from the nation’s high court to pause the auction. Judge Selby Baqwa has now placed an interdict on regulator ICASA. The auction was supposed to happen […]

March 10, 2021By Chris Forrester

Shared Access: ‘Ready to boost 4G coverage’

A year on from the £1 billion (€1.17bn) Shared Rural Network (SRN) agreement being signed, wireless telecommunications infrastructure company Shared Access says it is ready to help mobile network operators increase 4G coverage in rural areas to meet government targets – and increase access to grassroots sport at the same time. As an independent owner […]

March 9, 2021By Colin Mann

FCC announces C-band auction winners

The US’s Federal Communications Commission has announced the winning bidders and the final bid totals in Auction 107 – commonly referred to as the C-band auction. Net winning bids totalled $81,114,481,921 (€66.48bn) and gross winning bids totalled $81,168,677,645 . Twenty-one bidders won all of the available 5,684 licences. “It is essential to America’s economic recovery […]

February 25, 2021By Colin Mann