Irish telecoms regulator ComReg has admitted to paying rebates to mobile operators who won spectrum in the 3.6GHz auction in May 2017 after they have been unable to fully access the spectrum, reports the Irish Times.
ComReg sold the spectrum for a total of EUR 78 million to five operators. However, that have been unable to proceed with network roll-out plans as an existing operator has not yet fully vacated the spectrum, which it was using before the auction. It is understood that thousands of customers in rural areas are still receiving broadband services using the spectrum.
According to industry sources, at least one operator is considering legal action if the problem is not resolved soon. ComReg did not say which operators are being given rebates or how much it has paid back to date. The five operators agreed to pay EUR 60.5 million of the total EUR 78 million bid upfront.
