Through this 5G spectrum auction, the Argentina government aims to raise around $1.1 billion
Argentine telecommunications regulator Enacom confirmed it would carry out an auction to award 5G frequencies on October 24, local press reported.
Through the move, the cash-strapped government aims to raise around $1.1 billion.
Enacom also confirmed that local operators Personal (owned by Telecom Argentina), Movistar (owned by Spain’s Telefonica) and Claro (owned by Mexican telecommunications group America Movil), will take part in the process.
The watchdog also noted that it will make available a total of 300 megahertz of spectrum in the 3.3-3.6 GHz bands, in three batches of 100 megahertz.
Enacom highlighted that the deployment of 5G technology constituted a medium- and long-term state policy which required collaboration between the public and the private sectors for the renewal of network infrastructure across the country.
Claro, Movistar and Personal had presented the necessary guarantees to participate in the process, according to recent reports.
In September, the board of Enacom approved the terms of the long-delayed spectrum auction.
Following the approval of the terms of the process, Personal, Movistar and Claro had urged the government to revise the tender documents for the 5G auction as they believed that the terms were not viable.
“It should be noted that the price assigned to each of the three blocks of 100 megahertz of spectrum in the 3.5 GHz band is very high compared to the macroeconomic situation of the country, our clients and the sector,” the telcos said.
The companies also noted that “the base price set by [telecommunications regulator] Enacom is 300% higher than that of the same band established by Brazil, which has a completely different economic situation and is one of the best examples of 5G spectrum auction in the region.”
They also opposed to the fact that the government decided to allocate 100 megahertz of spectrum to state-run operator Arsat for free, stating that this decision would generate economic distortions and legal uncertainties in the local telecommunications market.
5G subscribers in Argentina are expected to reach 34.7 million by 2030, up compared to 5.7 million in 2025, according to a report by telecom association GSMA.
The GSMA report showed that 5G penetration in Argentina is expected to reach 9% by 2025 while it would expand to 48% by 2030.
GSMA also noted that 5G networks will cover 84% of Argentina’s population by 2030, up from 38% in 2025.
