Italian mobile operators Telecom Italia, Vodafone Italia and Wind Telecomunicazioni have been granted access to an additional band of 4G spectrum paid for at a September 2011 auction.
The ministry of economic development announced that local TV stations…
Italian mobile operators Telecom Italia, Vodafone Italia and Wind Telecomunicazioni have been granted access to an additional band of 4G spectrum paid for at a September 2011 auction.
The ministry of economic development announced that local TV stations have freed up the 800MHz frequencies, meaning the operators can now use them to develop their LTE services.
The companies spent significant sums on spectrum in the 800MHz, 1.8GHz, 2GHz and 2.6GHz bands at the 2011 auction, which raised a total €3.945bn. The 800MHz band is considered particularly valuable. According to the newspaper report, only the 1.8GHz frequencies were assigned after the auction.
Telecom Italia invested the most, paying slightly more than €1.26bn for two blocks in the 800MHz band, one block in the 1.8GHz band and three blocks in the 2.6GHz band.
Vodafone spent just under €1.26bn for two blocks in the 800MHz band, one block in the 1.8GHz band and three blocks in the 2.6GHz band.
Meanwhile, Wind Telecomunicazioni, a subsidiary of VimpelCom, spent about €1.2bn on two blocks in the 800MHz band and four blocks in the 2.6GHz band.
3 Italia, owned by Hong Kong-based Hutchison Whampoa, also participated in the auction, paying about €305m on one block in the 1.8GHz band and four blocks in the 2.6GHz band. It did not pay for 800MHz spectrum.
