Germany is still considering how to assign 800 MHz, 1800 MHz and 2.6 GHz licences which expire in 2025. The country's new fourth operator 1&1 has requested an "industry assignment" instead of an auction, yet some have raised doubts about the new entrant after its failure to hit rollout targets. Read more...

Upfront payments are criticised as a barrier to infrastructure investment, but what are the pros and cons of taking a staged approach? Read more...

Telefonica Group is upgrading its 4G and 5G networks and continues to add to its spectrum portfolio. A key focus now is Open RAN networks for 5G deployment. Read more...

The PolicyTracker Spectrum Database includes the world’s first benchmark price for the 4.9 GHz band. Read more...

Mobile operators usually think of the price of spectrum in terms of MHz/POP, but does the promise of 5G make it redundant? Read more...

This article gives an overview of national spectrum policies in the larger economies as 5G moves from theory to deployment. We focus on the regional differences in 5G bands; increasing use of spectrum sharing initiatives; progress towards spectrum liberalisation in India and Brazil; the emergence of new entrants in Japan… Read more...

Telefonica Group has strongly criticised spectrum auction designs in various countries, claiming that any focus by regulators beyond efficient spectrum allocation and maintaining strong mobile competition risks hampering 5G rollout. Its 5G initiatives include projects for the banking sector, connected cars and TV broadcasting. Read more...

Spectrum auctions have become the default mechanism for assigning high-value frequencies around the world, but the past five years have seen growing concern about the possible impact of steep auction prices on investment, consumer prices, mobile network coverage and 5G rollout. Are some governments becoming wary? Read more...

Despite better than expected revenues, the prices paid in Ireland suggest that operators regard 5G bands as a welcome addition rather than a prerequisite for a new era of mobile services. Read more...

In March 2017 the FCC assigned licences in the 600 MHz band by means of an incentive auction where broadcasters offered their spectrum through a reverse auction and this was made available to operators through a forward auction. Read more...