The French regulator ARCEP has launched a tender to sell the two remaining 3G frequency blocks.
Candidates must submit their application by May 11 at noon.
In a release, ARCEP said that applications will be assessed on the commitments that candidates…
The French regulator ARCEP has launched a tender to sell the two remaining 3G frequency blocks.
Candidates must submit their application by May 11 at noon.
In a release, ARCEP said that applications will be assessed on the commitments that candidates would make to improve the hosting conditions offered to MVNOs and their financial bids.
The minimum price for a block of spectrum is E120m.
On hosting MVNOs, ARCEP wants candidates to make commitments that will help improve wholesale market competition and increase MVNOs’ commercial independence in the retail market. The regulator also asks that they offer MVNOs more technical autonomy and better economic terms.
Following their failure to sell a fourth 3G licence, the authorities decided to divide the frequencies and sell three blocks of 5 MHz spectrum in the 2.1 GHz frequency band. The first block, which was reserved for a new entrant, was awarded to Free Mobile in January.
The rest of the frequencies will be allocated before the summer and thereafter the regulator will launch the procedure to award digital dividend and 2.6 GHz band spectrum for the roll-out of ultra high-speed mobile networks.
