Spain’s Ministry of Energy, Tourism and the Digital Agenda has announced that it will be auctioning off 200 MHz of spectrum in the 3.6-3.8 GHz band in mid-July, the first of a series tenders in 5G bands planned for this year. The aim is to make available 40 blocks of 5 MHz at a minimum price of EUR 2.5 million, meaning that the government would earn at least EUR 100 million for a total of 200 MHz of spectrum. Operators have been given until 29 June to submit their applications for the 20-year concessions with a maximum of 24 blocks of 5 MHz, or 120 MHz, available per operator.
The 3.4-3.8 GHz band band is expected to be key to reaching speeds of between 1 and 3Gbps in urban areas thanks to the use of small cell technology. The ministry has yet to reveal when it will be auctioning frequencies in the other 5G bands it previously said would be made available under the 5G National Plan, including the 700 MHz, 1.5 GHz and 2.6 GHz bands.
