Spectrum agency sets new 700MHz schedule: auction by end-year

Oscar Leon Suarez, director of Colombia’s National Spectrum Agency – Agencia Nacional del Espectro (ANE) – stated this week that the 700MHz frequency band will be cleared for 4G cellular network usage by the end of August ahead of an auction of 90MHz in the band later in the year alongside additional frequencies in the 900MHz, 1900MHz and 2600MHz ranges. The auction plan had been delayed from an earlier mooted H1 2015 timetable. As reported by Signals Telecom, there are six remaining television broadcast channels (out of an original 16) which must complete the process of migrating to other spectrum bands in the coming months. Other details of the auction are yet to be decided, such as the minimum bid price for licences. Colombian cellcos currently operate 4G LTE services using the 1700MHz/2100MHz (AWS) and 2600MHz bands.