A spectrum auction offering frequencies in four bands will get underway next month, the Australian Communications and Multimedia Authority (ACMA) announced today as it published the applicant information pack for the sale process. The regulator confirmed that it will allocate via auction spectrum that remained unallocated after previous allocation and re-issue processes in the 1800MHz, 2GHz, 2.3GHz and 3.4GHz bands, while it will also offer a batch of frequencies in the 2GHz band in the Canberra region that has recently been designated for spectrum licensing for the first time. A total of 39 spectrum lots are to be offered in three sequential stages, comprising: all lots in the 1800MHz band and three 2×10MHz blocks in the 2GHz in the first stage; six 2×5MHz lots in the 2GHz band in the second stage; and all lots in the 2.3GHz and 3.4GHz bands in the third and final stage.
According to the ACMA’s proposed timetable, interested parties will be required to submit their application for the sale process by 27 October, with mock auctions to be conducted in early November, following which the regulator will notify registered bidders about the start date and time of the first and second rounds of the auction. As it stands, the ACMA has set a tentative auction start date of 28 November.
