Ofcom has announced the companies that have applied to bid in the UK’s 4G mobile spectrum auction, which will start in January next year.
There are seven companies bidding to operate 4G mobile services in the UK:
Ed Richards, Ofcom’s Chief Executive, said “The 4G auction will be a competitive process that will dictate the shape of the UK mobile phone market for the next decade and beyond. New 4G services will stimulate investment, growth and innovation in the UK and deliver significant benefits to consumers in terms of better, faster and more reliable mobile broadband connections.”
Bidders will be competing for spectrum in two separate bands: 800MHz and 2.6GHz. The 800 MHz band is better for widespread mobile coverage, while the 2.6GHz band is capable of providing the capacity for faster speeds.
The winning companies are expected to launch 4G in late Spring or early Summer 2013.