Belgium outlines 4G auction details

The Belgian telecoms regulator, BIPT, has published details of its forthcoming 4G licence auction for spectrum in the 800MHz bands, reports Cellular News. A total of three licenses are available, each consisting of 2x10MHz of spectrum, available for a 20-year term. A reserve price of €120m has been set for each licence. Although the number of licences matches the number of incumbent mobile networks, in order to encourage new entrants into the market, the regulator has relaxed the conditions applying to successful bidders without an existing GSM licence. The incumbents will be required to reach 98% population coverage with 4G services within six years, whereas a new entrant would be given nine years to achieve the same target. Any of the incumbent operators winning a licence will be required to offer national roaming to any new entrant. The regulator will also make a block of unsold 2.6Ghz spectrum available to any bidder winning an 800MHz spectrum licence but who lacks spectrum in the 2.6Ghz band.