Page 116 - SAMENA Trends - March 2020

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

FCC Approves Bidding Procedures for 3.5GHz Auction

The US Federal Communications offer up to seven PALs in each county- the 3.55GHz-3.65GHz band. The bidding
Commission (FCC) has established based license area, for a total of 22,631 process, which has been designated as
application and bidding procedures for PALs nationwide – the largest number of Auction 105, is scheduled to commence
the auction of over 22,000 county-sized spectrum licenses ever made available for on 25 June 2020.
Priority Access Licenses (PALs) in the bidding in a single auction. Each PAL will
5G-suitable 3.5GHz band. The auction will consist of a 10MHz unpaired channel in

Ofcom Reveals 5G Spectrum Auction Rules

British telecom regulator Ofcom has frequency-generic lots will determine the might consider seeking a judicial review
outlined the rules that will apply to its amount of spectrum won by each bidder in of its final decisions. To that end, the
forthcoming auction of 5G-suitable each band – and a subsequent assignment regulator has suggested that any claim for
spectrum. The regulator plans to sell stage to determine the precise frequencies judicial review should be brought promptly
national licenses for 80MHz of spectrum of lots won in the principal stage. The latter – specifically within six weeks of its
in the 700MHz band and 120MHz in the phase will reportedly contain measures statement – with a request that the courts
3.6GHz-3.8GHz bands, ahead of which it to defragment MNOs’ holdings in the expedite the matter. Having also published
has confirmed there will be no coverage wider 3.4GHz-3.8GHz band, ‘including a a final draft of the Auction Regulations
obligations attached to the concessions period for negotiation in which winners which will give effect to its decision, Ofcom
on offer. The watchdog said its decision of lots in the 3.6GHz-3.8GHz band will be said it intends to issue the final rules ‘once
to omit obligations comes after the able to agree between them the precise [it is] certain that stakeholders will either
nation’s mobile network operators frequencies of those lots’. In terms of the not seek to challenge the decisions set out
(MNOs) committed to achieving more next steps toward conducting the auction, in this statement, or any such challenges
comprehensive mobile coverage via the Ofcom noted that during the course of have been disposed of’.
‘Shared Rural Network’ program, measures its consultation process a number of
– Ofcom considers – that would have stakeholders had indicated that they
been enforceable via coverage obligations.
The commitments made by the cellcos
under the Shared Rural Network program
have been agreed with the government,
are now included in cellco’s existing
spectrum licenses, and are legally binding.
Meanwhile, Ofcom has also confirmed
that there will be a cap of 416MHz on the
total amount of spectrum designated for
mobile services that any single MNO may
hold. In terms of the sale process itself,
the regulator has revealed that the auction
will include a principal stage, using a
simultaneous multiple round ascending
(SMRA) format – in which bidding for

116 MARCH 2020