Colombia’s Ministry of Information Technology and Communication published for industry comments the draft resolution for the auction of spectrum in the 1.7/2.1 GHz, 2.5 GHz and 1.9 GHz bands. The auction is scheduled to begin August 8, with the deployment of mobile broadband services using those bands expected to begin next year.
The auction will include a total of 225 megahertz of spectrum spread across the different frequencies: 1710MHz-1755MHz, 1850MHz-1990MHz, 2110MHz-2155MHz and 2500MHz-2690MHz. The goal is for operators to launch LTE services in the new bands.
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The government intends to encourage competition amongst incumbent providers and promote the entrance of new telcos into the market, including foreign carriers. Applications to participate in the auction are due June 20.
Incumbent operators Comunicacion Celular (Comcel), Telefonica Moviles Colombia (Movistar) and Colombia Movil (Tigo), and digital trunking operator Avantel have expressed interest in the auction, as have U.S.-based NII Holdings, and Brazil’s Oi.
ICT Minister Diego Molano Vega said it will allocate up to 25% of the tender amount for operators to encourage users, mostly students, to use mobile broadband services.
The draft resolution establishes the conditions, requirements and procedures for issuing permits for the use of the spectrum. Read it here (in Spanish).
