Spain to launch digital dividend spectrum tender in Q2

The Spanish government will launch a mobile spectrum tender in the second quarter. The government plans to auction the frequency bands freed after the introduction of DTT services. Via this auction, the executive expects to raise between EUR 1.5 and 2 billion. The statement was made by the Spanish minister of industry, tourism and commerce, Miguel Sebastian, at the inauguration of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, El Pais reports. The 310 MHz to be auctioned were freed as a result of the GSM frequency rearrangement, and the analogue switch-off (digital dividend). Around 10 percent of this spectrum (20 MHz) will be awarded by a beauty contest, while 90 percent will be auctioned to the highest bidder.