Five Chilean operators have submitted bids to secure additional spectrum, including 5G frequencies, Chile’s telecommunications regulator Subtel said in a release.
Entel, Claro, Movistar, WOM and Borealnet made offers, according to the regulator. In total, the Chilean government is awarding 1.8 gigahertz of spectrum in the 700 MHz, AWS (1.755-1.770 GHz and 2.155-2.170 GHz), 3.5 GHz and 26 GHz bands, the latter two for 5G services.
According to Subtel, the process saw the highest number of bidders in a public spectrum tender in the country.
WOM bid for all four bands, followed by Finnish newcomer Borealnet, which submitted bids for three bands, according to Subtel.
For the 700 MHz band, WOM, Borealnet, Claro and Movistar submitted offers, but only the first two telcos provided all the documentation required in the process.
WOM, Borealnet, Claro, Horizonte Telecom and Movistar had expressed interest in the AWS band, but only the first three provided the documentation required and were finally selected as the bidders by Subtel.
Entel, Claro, Movistar, WOM and Borealnet submitted bids for spectrum in the 3.5 GHz band. Horizonte Telecom and a subsidiary of Entel, Will SA, failed to comply with the documentation requirements, the regulator said.
Finally, in the 26 GHz band, Claro, Entel and WOM submitted eligible bids, while Horizonte Telecom and Movistar failed to submit all the required documents.
Subtel did not provide details of the bids.
Liberty Latin America, which operates in Chile through its unit VTR, as well GDT did not submit bids for the upcoming spectrum tender. The two operators had submitted comments and questions in the process.
The offers will now be reviewed by a commission, which will analyze technical and economic aspects of the bids. Subtel said that the winners of the spectrum auction will be announced in February 2021.
Transport and telecommunications minister Gloria Hutt said the level of interest confirms that “Chile is an attractive place to invest in this sector.”
“With the opening of the offers from the interested operators, we are getting closer to having 5G in the country. This technology will have a far-reaching impact on people’s quality of life and on Chile’s productivity,” Hutt said in a statement.
The spectrum tender obliges the winners to connect 366 districts with 4G technology using spectrum in the 700 MHz band.
