Chilean telecoms regulator Subtel has finally begun the long-delayed process of allocating frequencies in the 700MHz band won by Entel, Claro and Movistar in February 2014, Diario Financiero writes. The process was delayed by legal challenges against the award process by several operators, including mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) Netline and Telstar, which claimed that certain aspects of the tender prevented them from bidding. Whilst the matter has cleared the legal deadlock, the allocation process may still take as much as six months to complete, a representative for Subtel explained.

As reported by CommsUpdate last month, another cellco, Nextel, is also looking to acquire 700MHz frequencies and has offered to barter some of its existing AWS spectrum holdings (1700MHz/2100MHz) for reserved airwaves in the lower band.