The three operators will compete for 28 blocks in the 3.5GHz spectrum and 24 blocks in the 28GHz spectrum, with the period of use starting in December for 10 years and five years, respectively, the ICT ministry said. The government set the minimum bidding price for the 3.5GHz blocks at KRW 2.65 trillion and for the 28GHz blocks at 621.6 billion after taking into consideration the last auction for 4G spectrum. In 2016, the opening price for the 4G spectrum auction was set at KRW 2.6 trillion.
According to ministry representatives, completing the allocation of the new frequencies is expected to accelerate the commercialization of 5G services, which are currently scheduled for launch in March 2019.
Government officials said they will later determine how to hand out the bands, with one option being to share them equally among the three mobile operators and another to distribute them unevenly to give the biggest bidder an advantage.
SK Telecom claims there should be a reasonable limit on how they are divided, as it prefers unequal allocation. KT and LG Uplus, on the other hand, support equal distribution, on grounds that it would ensure fair competition in terms of service and fees.
