Icelandic telecoms watchdog the Post and Telecom Administration (Post-og Fjarskiptastofnun, PTA) has opened a public consultation on the terms and conditions for an auction for LTE-suitable frequencies in the 700MHz, 2100MHz and 2600MHz bands. The regulator is planning to auction eleven blocks of spectrum by the end of 2016 as follows:
• Block A (with 15 years validity): 2×10MHz (703MHz-713MHz/758MHz-768MHz), with a minimum bid of ISK35.0 million (USD305,000)
• Block B (15 years): 2×10MHz (713MHz-723MHz/768MHz-778MHz), ISK35.0 million
• Block C (15 years): 2×10MHz (723MHz-733MHz/778MHz-788MHz), ISK35.0 million
• Block D (five years): 2×5MHz (1935MHz-1940MHz/2125MHz-2130MHZ), ISK5.5 million
• Block E (five years): 2×5MHz (1970MHz-1975MHz/2160MHz-2165MHZ), ISK5.5 million
• Block F (five years): 2×5MHz (1975MHz-1980MHz/2165MHz-2170MHz), ISK5.5 million
• Block G (ten years): 2×20MHz (2500MHz-2520MHz/2620MHz-2640MHz), ISK10.0 million
• Block H (ten years): 2×20MHz (2520MHz-2540MHz/2640MHz-2660MHz), ISK10.0 million
• Block I (ten years): 2×10MHz (2540MHz-2550MHz/2670MHz-2680MHz), ISK5.0 million
• Block J (ten years): 2×10MHz (2550MHz-2560MHz/2670MHz-2680MHz), ISK5.0 million
• Block K (ten years): 2×10MHz (2560MHz-2570MHz/2680MHZ-2690MHz), ISK5.0 million.
Successful bidders for Blocks A, B and C will be required to offer mobile broadband services with download speeds of 10Mbps to 95% of the population by the end of 2017, while downlink of 30Mbps must be offered to 98% of the population by December 2020. All interested parties are invited to submit their comments by 1 November.