17.11.2009

FICORA to launch 2.6 GHz spectrum auction

The Finnish Communications Regulatory Authority (FICORA) will officiate as auctioneer at the spectrum auction to be held on Tuesday 17 November 2009 at 10 a.m. At the auction, 15 licenses for the spectrum band 2500-2690 MHz will be auctioned. The last registration date for the auction was 7 October 2009.

The 15 licenses to be auctioned for the spectrum band 2500-2690 MHz will be sold for 20 years. All spectrum bands on sale will be auctioned simultaneously via an electronic system on the internet. The auction method is the so-called Simultaneous Multiple Round auction - bids are made on an ascending scale for several rounds.

The starting price of a spectrum block is EUR 15,000/MHz. The bidding round consists of the bidding phase, calculation phase and reporting phase. During the bidding phase, the bidder either accepts or rejects the offered price for each block of spectrum related to the license by ticking a box. During the bidding phase, bidders may also transfer their bids from one block of spectrum to another. The bid must be placed before the end of the ongoing bidding phase. Bids arriving late will not be accepted. Bids may not be placed for more than 50 MHz and each bid is binding.

The auction is concluded after a round during which new bids are not placed on any of the paired spectrum blocks or spectrum blocks. After the auction, FICORA will notify the winners to the Ministry of Transport and Communications where the licenses are drafted for the Government for decision-making.

Additional information on the auction