Belgium Outlines 4G Spectrum Auction Details

The Belgian telecoms regulator, BIPT has published details of its forthcoming 4G license auction for spectrum in the 800 MHz bands.

A total of three licenses are available, each consisting of 2x10MHz of spectrum, available for a
20 year term.

A reserve price of EUR120 million (US$156 million) has been set for each license.

Although the number of licenses matches the number of incumbent mobile networks, in order to encourage new entrants into the market, the regulator has relaxed the conditions applied to a winner that lacks an existing GSM license.

The incumbents will be required to reach 98% population coverage with 4G services within six years, whereas a new entrant would be given nine years to achieve that.

Any of the incumbent operators that win a license will be required to offer national roaming to any new entrant that wins a license.

The regulator will also make a block of unsold 2.6 GHz spectrum available to any bidder winning an 800 MHz spectrum licensee who lacks spectrum in the 2.6 GHz band.