Australian spectrum auction of 26 GHz band concluded

Five companies have won spectrum in the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s latest spectrum auction in the 26 GHz band. The 26 GHz band has been identified as optimal for the delivery of 5G wireless broadband services.

Of the 360 lots available in the auction, 358 were sold, realising a total revenue of $647,642,100, equivalent to almost $0.0127/MHz/pop.

Dense Air Australia Pty Ltd won 2 lots for $28,689,900, Mobile JV Pty Limited won 86 lots for $108,186,700, Optus Mobile Pty Ltd won 116 lots for $226,203,100, Pentanet Limited won 4 lots for $7,986,200, and Telstra Corporation Limited won 150 lots for $276,576,200.

“This outcome represents another significant milestone for 5G in Australia. The successful allocation of this spectrum will support high-speed communications services in metropolitan cities and major regional centres throughout Australia,” said ACMA Chair Nerida O’Loughlin.

“This auction is one among a suite of licensing approaches that the ACMA has introduced in the 26 GHz and 28 GHz bands to encourage a wide range of innovative communications uses,” said Ms O’Loughlin.

Licences won at auction will come into force later this year, for a 15-year term ending in 2036.

According to the GSMA, 26 GHz and 28 GHz have emerged as two of the most important 5G bands. What makes them such a valuable resource for mobile networks is the amount of spectrum available. Trials use hundreds of megahertz to demonstrate multi-gigabit speeds. Current LTE networks must in most cases make do with tens of megahertz. Disruptive.Asia