French telecoms regulator the Authority of Regulation for Electronic Communications and Posts (Autorite de Regulation des Communications Electroniques et des Postes, Arcep) has awarded a temporary licence to domestic operator Bouygues Telecom for time division duplex LTE (TD-LTE) trials in the 3400MHz-3600MHz (3.5GHz) frequency band. The company will be authorised to conduct tests using 15MHz of spectrum in the 3505MHz-3520MHz band in the southern Paris suburb of Arcueil from 1 May until 15 September.
As previously reported by TeleGeography’s CommsUpdate, earlier this month Arcep offered interested parties the opportunity to stage tests using the 2570MHz-2620MHz (2.6GHz) and 3.5GHz bands, ahead of the spectrum’s planned distribution – which will occur within the next two years.