British regulator Ofcom announced they will auction a total of 6 GHz in the 26 GHz and 40 GHz bands to improve mobile connectivity in the UK.
“This spectrum has the potential to deliver significant benefits by enabling large increases in wireless data capacity and speeds, and we want to provide the industry with the certainty of access to this spectrum to enable timely investment and innovation,” says the regulator in a recent statement.
The regulator says the new spectrum will be particularly beneficial in locations and venues with a lot of mobile users, such as train stations, football stadiums and concerts, where demands on current networks mean mobile data speeds can be sluggish.
Ofcom will award citywide licences to use mmWave spectrum by auction and assign licences for more localised licences on a first come, first served basis. Stakeholders can comment on the regulator’s auction proposal until May 22, 2023.
The regulator hopes to hold the auction in Q1 of 2024.
