Ofcom noted that the auction released 5.4 GHz of high-frequency spectrum
In sum – what to know:
mmWave spectrum secured – EE, O2, and VodafoneThree will pay a combined £39 million to enhance 5G capacity in crowded UK locations.
5.4 GHz of spectrum – Ofcom auctioned the largest-ever block of high-frequency spectrum across the 26 GHz and 40 GHz bands.
Next up: Frequency assignment – Operators will now bid for preferred frequency positions before final results are published.
U.K. regulator Ofcom has concluded the principal stage of its latest spectrum auction, with local operators BT’s EE, O2, and VodafoneThree committing a total of £39 million ($52.3 million) to acquire new frequencies to improve mobile service quality in the UK’s busiest areas.
In a release, the regulator noted that the auction released 5.4 GHz of high-frequency spectrum—the largest amount ever made available in an Ofcom sale—across the 26 GHz and 40 GHz bands. Ofcom highlighted that these short-wavelength frequencies are particularly effective for increasing network capacity in locations such as stadiums, transport hubs, and large event venues, where thousands of users connect simultaneously.
Each operator secured 800 megahertz of spectrum in the 26 GHz band and 1 GHz in the 40 GHz band, They have committed to pay £13 million each for this spectrum.
David Willis, Ofcom’s group director for spectrum, said: “Today’s results are an important milestone on the path to better, faster 5G. The large amount of spectrum we’ve released will help support innovation, open doors to new applications and growth, and can bring noticeable improvements to mobile services in busier places up and down the U.K.”
With the principal bidding complete, Ofcom highlighted that the process now moves to the assignment stage, where operators will bid for their preferred specific frequency positions. The final results, including detailed allocations and total amounts paid, will be announced once all stages of the process conclude, it added.
Ofcom said the spectrum can be deployed across 68 towns and cities nationwide, enabling operators to enhance high-capacity 5G coverage in major population centers.
“This new spectrum will enable uplifted mobile network capacity to deliver enhanced customer experiences in some of the U.K.’s busiest locations. It will also support new services and applications, such as ultra-reliable high-performance private networks,” a BT Group spokesperson said in a statement emailed to RCR Wireless News.
Ofcom declined to comment on the issue given that the auction process was still ongoing.
5G technology currently accounts for 28% of all mobile connections in the U.K., according to a previous report by Ofcom.
This figure represents an increase of 9 percentage points year-on-year. The report also noted that 4G connections dropped to 71% of total connections, down 7 percentage points year-on-year.
