France's Conseil d'Etat administrative court has rejected a request for an injunction to suspend the 4G auction sought by broadband group Iliad, whose Free Mobile subsidiary will launch the country's fourth 3G network at the start of next year. The operator claimed that the requirement to pay for 4G spectrum upfront, rather than in instalments, put it at a disadvantage vis-a-vis rivals with deeper pockets. According to local press reports, the court said it would deliver a ruling on the full merits of the case within months. The deadline to participate in the 4G auction, which the government hopes will raise EUR 2.5 billion or more, is 15 September for the 2.6GHz band and two months later for the 800MHz band.
