ARCEP said the auction process will start Nov. 16
France telecom regulator ARCEP confirmed the process to award 30 megahertz of spectrum in the 700 MHz band to support LTE services will kick off Nov. 16.
The regulator previously confirmed the firms submitting applications for the spectrum auction were Bouygues Telecom, Free Mobile, Orange and SFR. The regulator said it would analyze applications to ensure they satisfy the procedure’s admissibility and qualification criteria by the end of September. The regulator also said it will publish a list of the candidates that are eligible to participate in the spectrum auction by the end of October.
ARCEP confirmed that the mobile licenses, valid for a 20-year period, will be awarded before the end of the year. The 700 MHz spectrum band is expected to allow French operators to broaden the reach of their LTE networks, which are still limited in scope.
According to the conditions of the process, the winning operators will have to provide coverage in rural areas and along 29,000 km (18,000 miles) of railway lines across France. The coverage conditions also stipulate that operators will have to provide nationwide coverage by the end of 2030.
French operator Bouygues offers LTE services using 800 MHz, 1.8 GHz and 2.6 GHz spectrum bands; Orange and SFR currently offer LTE services using their 800 MHz and 2.6 GHz spectrum bands; while Free uses just the 2.6 GHz band to support LTE services.
O2 gets approval to extend mobile licenses in the Czech Republic
Also in EMEA, Czech mobile operator O2 received regulatory approval for an extension to the terms of some of its spectrum licenses in the country.
The Czech Telecommunication Office gave O2 the green light for a multiyear extension to spectrum licenses that were due to expire in February. Under the extended licenses, the telco will have the right to use mobile spectrum in the 900 MHz and 1800 MHz bands from Feb. 8, 2016, to Oct. 22, 2024.
The telco paid approximately $18.3 million for the extension.
