Switzerland today said it aims to kick off 5G spectrum auction this month targeting the participation of all top mobile operators in the country.
Top mobile operators such as Swisscom, Sunrise and Salt Mobile are expected to participate during the spectrum auction for rewarding the 5G spectrum in Switzerland, Reuters reported.
The Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM) said it will conduct the auction in January and will reveal the result by the second quarter of the year. It provided no other details – not even which or how many companies would take part – for the sale.
It will conduct clock auction to release 5G spectrum. Authorities have said a clock auction ensures bidders can configure frequency packages which best suit their business models. It lets bidders switch between frequency categories in the course of the auction.
The auction covers blocks of frequencies within the 700 MHz, 1400 MHz, 2.6 GHz and 3.5 GHz ranges. The government could raise at least 220 million Swiss francs or $223 million if bids are submitted for all the blocks on offer.
Italy last year raised 6.5 billion euros or $7.4 billion in its 5G auction that drew ferocious bidding but has been criticized for draining capital reserves from operators that face hefty network investments.
Germany could raise 4-5 billion euros from its planned auction of spectrum for 5G mobile services, business daily Handelsblatt has reported. Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone and Telefonica Deutschland have said they will participate. Companies need to apply by Jan. 25 to take part.
