Paraguay could initiate its long-delayed auction for 4G-suitable spectrum next month, online news site ABC Color reports citing comments from Teresita Palacios, the acting president of regulator Consejo Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (Conatel). Mr Palacios, who has assumed the position following the recent departure of Eduardo Gonzalez to state-owned telco Copaco, told the newspaper that the distribution of the spectrum is his ‘top priority’, adding that bidding documents could be released in the first half of July. As per previous regulatory documentation, the auction is likely to include 40MHz of paired AWS spectrum between 1730MHz-1770MHz and 2130MHz-2170MHz.
According to TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database, in October 2013 Gonzalez indicated that the watchdog was looking to auction off its AWS spectrum reserves as early as 1H14, although no tender materialised. Gonzalez noted that international bidders were welcome to participate in the tender, saying: ‘We have some international operators who have made an expression of interest in that band. It is important to generate maximum competition in both the access and the service’.
