PolicyTracker Spectrum Database updated for Q2 2024

Recent spectrum awards were characterised by a lack of enthusiastic bidding, sometimes resulting in unsold spectrum. India’s multiband auction raised just $1.35 billion, around 88 per cent less than the total value of the spectrum on offer, leaving many regional licences unsold. The auction added around 317 MHz of spectrum to the spectrum database.

Meanwhile, the Netherlands managed to sell all the spectrum licences on offer in the 3.6 GHz band, resulting in an additional 300 MHz of spectrum assets added to the database. However, the amount paid for licences was just above the reserve price of €170 million (the total raised was €174.43 million). This suggests that despite going four years without access to this important 5G band, there was a lack of enthusiasm from mobile operators.

Hong Kong, meanwhile, awarded additional 26 GHz and 28 GHz band spectrum to its mobile operators for free, suggesting that they were unwilling to pay very much for these mmWave frequencies.

Our update also accounts for various other changes, including spectrum trades and mergers. These include Vodafone Tanzania’s purchase of competing operator Smile and Proximus Belgium’s purchase of spectrum from IT firm NRB.

The PolicyTracker Spectrum Database tracks allocations, assignments and prices paid for spectrum. It is updated quarterly and is available in Google Sheets and as an Excel document.

Information from the Database is also accessible on our interactive web-based database and our recently launched Data Explorer function. All of these features are available as part of the Spectrum Research Service.