£1.3 billion raised in UK spectrum auction

A total of £1,355,744,000 has been raised in the principal stage of Ofcom’s auction of spectrum in the 2.3 and 3.4 GHz bands.

The spectrum is earmarked for 4G mobile and future 5G services.

The results of the auction are as follows:

• Airspan Spectrum Holdings Limited did not win any spectrum in either band.
• EE Limited won 40 MHz of 3.4 GHz spectrum at a cost of £302,592,000.
• Hutchison 3G UK Limited won 20 MHz of 3.4 GHz spectrum at a cost of £151,296,000.
• Telefónica UK Limited won all 40 MHz of 2.3 GHz spectrum available, at a cost of £205,896,000; and 40 MHz of 3.4 GHz spectrum at a cost of £317,720,000.
• Vodafone Limited won 50 MHz of 3.4 GHz spectrum at a cost of £378,240,000.
   

All of the money raised will go straight to the UK treasury.

The next, final, stage of the auction is the ‘assignment’ stage, in which the companies that have won spectrum will bid to determine where in the frequency bands their new spectrum will be located.

Once the assignment stage is complete, Ofcom will issue spectrum use licences within just a few days.

Image courtesy NIST.

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