Page 103 - SAMENA Trends - November-December 2021

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

NCC Extends Deadline for Submission of 3.5GHz Spectrum Bids

initial bid deposits for the upcoming spectrum licenses valid for ten years. To
auction of spectrum in the 3.5GHz band. qualify to bid in the auction, applicants
The date has been pushed back from 24 will not have to be an existing licensed
November to 5pm on 29 November due network operator in Nigeria, although any
to ‘the challenges posed to air travel as successful bidder which does not already
witnessed recently and considering that have a Unified Access Service License
it may have some impact on intending (UASL) will be granted one upon payment
bidders regarding the submission of their of the specified fee. Winning bidders will
bids’. The regulator plans to auction off be required to launch commercial services
two lots of 100MHz TDD spectrum in the within twelve months of the effective date
3.5GHz band, ranging from 3500MHz- of the license, and coverage should reach
The Nigerian Communications 3600MHz and 3700MHz-3800MHz, on 13 at least one state in each of the country’s
Commission (NCC) has extended the December. Each lot has a reserve price six geo-political zones within two years.
deadline for the submission of bids and of USD197.4 million, with the nationwide

Brazil’s 5G Auction Closes with US$8.5 Billion in Bids

Brazilian regulator Anatel has closed bidding in the country’s of the total bids, around BRL7.44 billion would be converted to
multi-band 5G spectrum auction. The long-awaited auction goodwill bonds, with the winning bidders required to supply
brought in a total of BRL47.2 billion (USD8.5 billion) in bids, with network coverage to pre-selected underserved regions in Brazil.
the 3.5GHz concessions attracting the highest bids – a total
of BRL22.79 billion for national permits and BRL7.92 billion for
regional permits. The 2.3GHz band brought in BRL9.45 billion,
with the 700MHz band generating BRL3.57 billion and the 26GHz
band raising BRL3.45 billion. Brazil’s three biggest players Claro
Brasil, Telefonica Brasil (Vivo) and TIM Brasil were the major
spenders, although regional telcos - including Algar Telecom,
Brisanet and Sercomtel - also lodged significant bids to obtain
licenses. Winity Telecom was a major winner in the 700MHz band.
President of the Special Bidding Commission Abraao Balbino e
Silva underlined the importance of 5G spectrum to Latin America,
saying: “We never had an auction with such economic volume
involved: privatization did not yield that, 3G did not yield that, 4G
did not yield that.” TeleGeography quoted Silva as saying that

US Players Splash $21.8B in Latest Mid-Band Auction

The US Federal Communications 19 of the 4,060 lots offered were won. In to cover specific geographic areas. In its
Commission (FCC) received winning the next part of the process operators and statement, the FCC noted license winners
bids worth $21.8 billion in its latest mid- other winning parties will vie for licenses “will operate within a cooperative sharing
band spectrum sale, a total the authority for specific blocks. The auction started in framework that will enable commercial
lauded as making the auction among the early October with 33 companies qualifying use by an array of service providers, while
highest grossing in its history. During the to place bids, including the three major also ensuring coexistence with federal
so-called clock phase, where companies operators and newcomer Dish Network. incumbents where and when they require
competed for generic blocks of spectrum Up for sale was 100MHz of spectrum continued access to the band”.
in the 3.45GHz to 3.5GHz range, all but split into 10MHz blocks with licenses set

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