Canadian AWS auction ends after 331 rounds, $4.25B in bids

The Canadian government’s auction of 105 megahertz of spectrum in the 1710-1755/2110-2155 MHz band, also known as the advanced wireless services spectrum (similar to what was offered by the Federal Communications Commission in 2006), wrapped up this morning after 331 rounds of bidding that generated nearly $4.25 billion. The auction included 105 megahertz of spectrum up for grabs with 40 megahertz set aside for new entrants and 65 megahertz open to all bidders.
The auction’s big spenders were the country’s three largest telecom providers, which combined posted around $2.7 billion of the auction’s total haul. Rogers Communications Inc. was the biggest spender, pledging nearly $1 billion in bids for 59 licenses. Telus Communications Co. is on the hook for around $880 million for its 59 licenses, while Bell Mobility Inc. was the high bidder on 54 licenses totaling around $740 million.
Of the 27 original bidders, 15 won at least one license.
Canada’s largest city of Toronto drew the most interest during the auction with the three highest-priced licenses centered on the Southern Ontario city. The 20 megahertz F-Block license (open to all bidders) covering Toronto went for $313.4 million to Bell Mobility; the 20 megahertz “new entrant” B-Block license covering Southern Ontario went for $278.4 million to Globalive Wireless; and the 20 megahertz A-Block license (open to all bidders) covering Toronto went for $234.6 million to Rogers.
According to Ric Prentiss at Raymond James & Associates, the Canadian auction finished up at $1.41 per megahertz pop per potential customer covered, which was substantially more than the U.S. AWS auction in 2006.