Five operators bid for Chilean 5G spectrum, including newco Borealnet

Chile’s telecommunications regulator Subtel announced that the ministry of transport and telecommunications MTT received offers from five different companies in the country’s delayed 5G spectrum tender. The auction went ahead in spite of an ongoing legal challenge from Movistar (Telefonica), with a total of 1,800 MHz of spectrum due to be awarded in the 700 MHz, AWS (1,800 and 2,100 MHz), 3.5 GHz and 26 GHz bands. Chile's four MNOs submitted bids for spectrum in one or more bands, with new entrant Borealnet submitting offers in three of the bands. According to local daily La Tercera, Borealnet is a consortium led by US-based Rivada Networks and Business Finland looking set up as a wholesale operator in the country.

Borealnet and WOM filed bids for spectrum in the 700 MHz band, with the same two companies and Claro entering the AWS band contest and Entel, Claro and WOM bidding for 26 GHz spectrum. Finally, all five interested parties (Claro, Entel, Movistar, WOM and Borealnet) are bidding for the 150 MHz of frequencies made available in the 3.5 GHz band. Movistar surprisingly bid for spectrum even though it complained that advantages given to certain operators were anti competitive, a case it may seek to resolve in Chile’s Supreme Court, said the report.

The 30-year licences come with obligations to cover public institutions, including hospitals, as well as a requirement to cover all regional and provincial capitals at the first stage before expanding to reach at least 90 percent of the population. Barring legal challenges, the results of the tender will be announced in February 2021, said Subtel.