Singapore’s three mobile operators have all secured spectrum in the country’s 4G auction, which has however failed to attract a new entrant.
Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) said in a statement that M1, SingTel Mobile and StarHub…
Singapore’s three mobile operators have all secured spectrum in the country’s 4G auction, which has however failed to attract a new entrant.
Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) said in a statement that M1, SingTel Mobile and StarHub Mobile all acquired spectrum at the reserve prices.
A total of 270MHz of airwaves in the 1800MHz and 2.5GHz bands were made available. M1 grabbed 80MHz for S$104m (US$82m), SingTel obtained 100MHz for S$136m (US$107m), and StarHub 90MHz for S$120m (US$95m).
As part of the 270MHz, 40MHz in the 2.5GHz band had been set aside for any new mobile operator that wished to enter Singapore’s mobile market. But IDA said back in January that the set-aside amount would be auctioned if no new entrant submitted a bid.
The 4G spectrum rights are valid from 2015 to 2030 and were auctioned because the current rights, sold in 2005 and 2007, will expire within the next few years.
The winning bidders are required to provide nationwide street level coverage for 4G by June 2016 and coverage for MRT underground stations/lines and road tunnels by June 2018.