The South Korean telecoms regulator is planning to hold an auction for 2.1GHz of spectrum later this year, and three of the country’s largest telcos are planning to bid, according to local media reports.
The Korea Herald reported that SK Telecom, KT Corp…
The South Korean telecoms regulator is planning to hold an auction for 2.1GHz of spectrum later this year, and three of the country’s largest telcos are planning to bid, according to local media reports.
The Korea Herald reported that SK Telecom, KT Corp and LG U+ have all expressed their interest in acquiring the spectrum.
Before the spectrum can be sold, the five commissioners at the Korea Communications Commission (KCC) need to decide on the rules of the auction process.
South Korea has never used an auction as a means of selling spectrum before, preferring the so-called “beauty contest”.
According to the Korea Herald report, one attraction of the spectrum is that it involves a 20MHz band in the 2.1GHz range. This band could potentially be used for 3G or LTE services in the future.
The KCC and the telcos concerned were unavailable to reply to questions.
SK Telecom reportedly controls around 50% of the South Korean mobile market, and is looking to expand globally. It reportedly had an interest in applying for the Blockbuster video/DVD rental chain in the US.
KT Corp controls around a third of the mobile market, with LG U+ controlling the remaining share.
