According to a release on the Subtel Chile website, the Undersecretariat of Telecommunications (Subtel) has set up a public consultation asking all interested parties for comment on the planned 5G spectrum auction.
Subtel says the auction will involve 700 MHz, the AWS band (which typically uses 1710 to 1755 MHz for uplink and from 2110 to 2155 MHz for downlink), 3.5 GHz, and 28 GHz.
A total of 20MHz will be made available in the 700MHz band, 30MHz in the AWS band, 150MHz in the 3.5GHz band and 800MHz in the 28GHz band.
Along with the usual warning that all participants must comply with relevant regulations on cybersecurity and critical telecommunications infrastructure, Subtel said it intends to auction concessions in the four bands via separate processes, each of which comes with conditions attached in terms of technology requirements and coverage requirements; these will vary depending on the band being considered.
The evaluation process will begin with a technical phase, after which the bidding process will take place for qualifying participants. Licenses resulting from this process will be valid over a 30-year term, in accordance with the provisions of Chile’s General Telecommunications Law.
The Undersecretary of Telecommunications, Pamela Gidi, pointed out that this announcement was something of a milestone given that there has been no spectrum auction since 2013.
The public consultation will be open until Friday, February 14. It is not yet clear when the actual auctions are due to take place.
