Mexico’s Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT) announced Saturday that the country will auction 80 megahertz of its wireless spectrum in January, just ahead of a similar spectrum auction expected to take place in the U.S. in March.
The auction will include 30 Mhz of AWS-1 spectrum and 50 MHz of AWS-3 spectrum, which are suitable for LTE services, the IFT said.
According to the statement, the airwaves will be auctioned in 5 MHz blocks and bidding will be open to both new and existing mobile operators in Mexico. Participants may bid on multiple blocks, but a cap may be placed on the amount of spectrum each bidder can acquire.
The auction is expected to use a Combinatorial Clock Auction format, a process commonly used elsewhere that the regulator hopes will “improve competition in the long term in the mobile market.”
Mexico’s market is currently dominated by operator America Movil, which accounts for about 70 percent of the country’s wireless and fixed line service, Reuters reported.
The IFT is currently seeking public comment on the auction, including the reserve prices, a proposed spectrum cap and block sizes. Comments will be open through October 16.
Filed Under: Telecommunications (Spectrum)
