Taiwan’s auction of six blocks of spectrum in the 2500MHz-2600MHz frequency band has come to a close, the Taipei Times reports, with the sale process raising a total of USD851 million for state coffers.
Following 140 rounds of bidding, the four remaining bidders in the process – Taiwan Mobile dropped out of the auction on 24 November – all secured new spectrum. Mobile market leader Chunghwa Telecom paid the most for its spectrum, having successfully bid TWD9.955 billion for frequency blocks D2 (2×20MHz – 2520MHz-2540MHz/2640MHz-2660MHz) and D4 (2×10MHz – 2560MHz-2570MHz/2680MHz-2690MHz). Meanwhile, multi-service operator Far EasTone laid claim to the D3 (2×20MHz – 2540MHz-2560MHz/2660MHz-2680MHz) and D6 (25MHz unpaired – 2595MHz-2620MHz) blocks at a total cost of TWD9.130 billion. Rounding out the winners, Taiwan Star and Asia Pacific Telecom grabbed one block apiece, the first named securing block D1 (2×20MHz – 2500MHz-2520MHz/2620MHz-2640MHz) at a cost of TWD6.615 billion, while the latter bagged block D5 (25MHz unpaired – 2570MHz-2596MHz) for TWD2.225 billion.
As per the National Communications Commission’s (NCC’s) auction design, blocks D1 to D4 are reserved for the development of a frequency division duplex (FDD) system, while the D5 and D6 blocks are to be used for time division duplex (TD) technology.
Commenting on the final pricing for the spectrum, NCC planning department director Wang De-wei was cited as saying that these ‘fell within the commission’s estimated range’.