Uruguay’s Regulatory Unit of Communications Services (Unidad Reguladora de Servicios de Comunicaciones, URSEC) has announced the results of its auction of spectrum in the 700MHz and 1700MHz/2100MHz (AWS) frequency bands.
America Movil’s local mobile unit Claro bid a total of USD35.2 million for two blocks of 2×5MHz in the 700MHz band (718MHz-723MHz paired with 773MHz-778MHz and 723MHz-728MHz paired with 778MHz-783MHz) and two blocks of 2×5MHz in the 1700MHz/2100MHz range (1755MHz-1760MHz paired with 2155MHz-2160MHz and 1760MHz-1765MHz paired with 2160MHz-2165MHz). Movistar Uruguay, owned by Spanish telecoms group Telefonica, spent a combined USD30.9 million on three blocks of 2×5MHz in the 700MHz band (703MHz-708MHz paired with 758MHz-763MHz, 708MHz-713MHz paired with 763MHz-768MHz and 713MHz-718MHz paired with 768MHz-773MHz).
In addition, a total of 55MHz has been reserved for state-owned incumbent Administracion Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (Antel), broken down as 40MHz of 700MHz frequencies and 15MHz in the AWS band. The spectrum licences are valid for a period of 20 years and the holders will have 24 months to roll out their networks.