Belgian regulator Bipt has opened the call for participation in the mobile spectrum auction planned for June. The long-awaited auction will provide the first 5G licences and redistribute key 2G and 3G bands, with a package of spectrum rights also reserved for a potential newcomer on the market. Interested bidders have until 16 February to apply.
The royal decrees allowing the preparations for the auction to start were published in December, after the government approved the terms of the 20-year licences last November. The auction will award 30 MHz of frequencies in the 700 MHz, 35 MHz in the 900 MHz band, 90 MHz in the 1,400 MHz range, 75 MHz in the 1,800 MHz band, 60 MHz in the 2,100 MHz band and 390 MHz in the 3,600 MHz band.
The 2G and 3G bands are already held by Proximus, Orange Belgium and Telenet/Base, which received a temporary extension until the auction could be organised. Bipt also issued in 2020 temporary licences for the 3.6 GHz band so the operators could start experimenting with 5G services.
The regulator has set up a dedicated website for the auction where it published the information document with all the details of the auction and licence conditions. The qualified bidders will participate anonymously in the auction, which will adopt the same format as previous contests in Belgium: simultaneous, multi-round ascending bids. A minimum reserve price has been set for each spectrum block, and operators will be able to spread out the amounts in annual payments.
Spectrum, roaming rights, coverage obligations for newcomers
Up to 30 MHz is reserved for a new operator. This includes 5 MHz paired blocks in the 900 MHz, 2,100 MHz and 700 MHz bands and a 15 MHz duplex in the 1,800 MHz band. This spectrum may be awarded automatically if a single bidder expresses interest in all six blocks, or auctioned separately if several newcomers come forward. Any blocks not awarded through this process will be included in the main auction.
Newcomers will benefit from reduced coverage obligations for the 700 and 900 MHz bands in the first years of the licences. They can take up to eight years to reach near-national coverage, as well as deliver lower minimum speeds than the existing mobile operators.
The Bipt has also reserved the right to order the existing operators to provide national roaming for a limited period to newcomers that acquire spectrum rights for the 700 and 900 MHz bands. This power will be used only if the operators are unable to reach a commercial agreement on roaming.
