The 5G spectrum auction by French telecom regulatory body Arcep has seen French operators spend €2.78 billion. Orange has won the highest quantity among the eleven 10MHz lots of 5G frequencies in the GHz 3.4-3.8 band, paying €854 million. Its total range of frequencies, (including previous allocations) total 257MHz, the largest on the market. SFR […]
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has, as expected, proposed freeing up more mid-band spectrum for use by 5G operators in the US. Currently the frequencies (3.45-3.55 GHz) is primarily used by the US military and the US Department of Defense (DoD). The DoD used the spectrum for radar systems amongst other communications needs on fixed, […]
French telecom regulator Arcep has launched the country’s 5G spectrum auction which had been delayed as result of the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown. Operators Bouygues, Orange, Free and SFR are the four players taking part to the bidding which will allocate the eleven 10MHz lots still available into the GHz 3,4-3,8 frequency band. The […]
The European Commission is taking further steps in the Digital Decade agenda to strengthen Europe’s digital sovereignty, as announced by President Ursula von der Leyen in her State of the Union address on September 16th. The Commission has published a Recommendation calling Member States to boost investment in very high-capacity broadband connectivity infrastructure, including 5G, […]
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai has shared with his colleagues a draft proposal which would take steps toward making the 3.45-3.55 GHz band available for commercial use throughout the contiguous United States. This item will be on the agenda of the FCC’s September 30th Open Meeting and, if adopted, would position this 100 megahertz […]
South Africa’s much-delayed spectrum auction will see some progress by the end of September when regulator ICASA will issue two invitations to apply for interested parties. ICASA says the spectrum will then be issued at the end of the regulator’s financial year (March 2021) which is a further 3 months later than the promised December […]
UK Digital Infrastructure Minister Matt Warman has confirmed the milestone completion of the four-year, £350 million major infrastructure programme to clear the 700 MHz spectrum band, allowing new data capacity to be released for mobile operators. The 700MHz spectrum band had mainly been used for digital terrestrial TV broadcast as well as professional radio microphones […]
The US’s Federal Communications Commission has released the results of the recently-concluded auction of 70 megahertz of Priority Access Licenses (PALs) in the 3550-3650 MHz band for 5G. The auction made available the greatest number of spectrum licences ever in a single FCC auction. Auction 105 gross proceeds reached $4,585,663,345, with net proceeds totalling $4,543,232,339. […]
Canadian satellite operator Telesat has welcomed Canada’s Ministry of Innovation, Science and Economic Development’s (ISED) inclusion of Telesat’s proposal to reallocate expeditiously the highly-desirable 3800 MHz, ‘C-band’, mid-band spectrum from fixed satellite use to 5G services in its recently-released consultation on the future of that band. According to Telesat, its proposal is the only plan […]
The US’s FCC has confirmed what it describes as the successful conclusion of bidding in its auction of Priority Access Licenses in the 3550-3650 MHz band for 5G, raising some $4.5 billion, although it has yet to name the successful bidders. The auction made available the greatest number of spectrum licences ever in a single […]