Mobile frequencies that become available are put out to tender
Published: Tuesday, Jul 9th 2024, 09:50
Updated At: Tuesday, Jul 9th 2024, 10:10
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Mobile radio frequencies that become available are to be put out to public tender in 2026. According to the Federal Communications Commission, this will enable a transparent procedure that is open to all those wishing to offer mobile services on the Swiss market.
The Federal Communications Commission (Comcom) announced on Tuesday that the tender will ensure that the frequencies that become available are allocated efficiently and in a way that promotes competition. Comcom plans to put the rights to use these bands out to public tender in 2026.
According to the press release, it has instructed the Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM) to prepare the allocation of the mobile radio frequencies that will become available in 2029. Interested parties will be given the opportunity to comment on the draft tender documents. The auction is scheduled to take place in 2027.
If the admission of applicants to the procedure shows that the demand for frequencies is greater than the supply, the frequencies will be awarded by auction, Comcom wrote.
The mobile radio licenses that were awarded to Swiss mobile radio operators in 2012 will expire at the end of 2028. These frequencies from the 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz and 2600 MHz bands therefore comprise a good half of the mobile radio frequencies allocated today.
Following the evaluation of the public consultation at the end of 2023, Comcom has decided to reallocate these "existing frequencies" by means of a tender. However, it does not want to include any new frequencies from the 6 GHz, 26 GHz and 40 GHz bands.
Salt, Sunrise and Swisscom for extension
In December 2023, OFCOM carried out a public consultation on behalf of Comcom on the allocation of the mobile radio frequencies available from 2029 and on the interest in new spectrum in the 6 GHz, 26 GHz and 40 GHz bands.
The current license holders Salt, Sunrise and Swisscom had expressed their support for an extension of the expiring frequencies in their statements, as stated in the press release.
Great interest in some cases
However, the public consultation revealed a great deal of interest from the mobile telephony sector in additional frequencies, particularly in the 6 GHz band. However, clarifications by OFCOM have shown that no new frequencies can be made available for mobile communications until at least 2026.
The comments also showed that there was only limited and not uniform interest in the frequencies in the 26 GHz and 40 GHz bands.
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