The UK has completed its latest 5G spectrum auction, raising a total of GBP 1.356 billion, Ofcom announced. The proceeds are slightly higher than the reservice prices of GBP 1.1 billion for the 200 MHz on offer.
Delayed nearly a year due to the Covid-19 crisis, the bidding took only a few days to award the frequencies in the 700 MHz and 3.6-3.8 GHz bands for expanding 5G networks. EE took the most frequencies, with total bids of GBP 452 million.
EE won 2x10 MHz of paired spectrum in the 700 MHz band for GBP 280 million, 20 MHz of supplementary downlink spectrum in the 700 MHz band for GBP 4 million and 40 MHz in the 3.6-3.8 GHz band at a cost of GBP 168 million.
3 UK also took 2x10 MHz in the 700 MHz band for GBP 280 million, and Vodafone acquired 40 MHz in the 3.6-3.8 GHz range for GBP 176.4 million.
Telefonica (O2 UK) won 2x10 MHz in the 700 MHz band for GBP 280 million and 40 MHz in the 3.6-3.8 GHz band for GBP 168 million.
A second round of bidding will be held for the operators to bid on specific places in the 3.6-3.8 GHz band.
3 UK CEO Robert Finnegan said it was delighted to have won two 10MHz blocks of spectrum, which triples the amount of low-frequency spectrum held by the company. He said this would help transform the customer experience indoors and in rural areas. Telefonica UK (O2) said its GBP 448 million investment demonstrated the company's commitment to the UK market and providing customers with the best connectivity. O2 said it was pleased with the result of the auction, with spectrum secured "at a fair price".
In a statement, EE said the result was "an excellent outcome" for the operator and its customers. The low-frequency spectrum will allow the operator to deliver indoor 5G coverage, and the mid-range spectrum will support future innovation efforts. Vodafone UK CEO Ahmed Essam said the auction would boost its 5G network capacity and open up new opportunities for services and products.
