radio spectrum regulation

The Jamaican regulator, the Spectrum Management Authority (SMA), will award one national block of 2x20 MHz in the 600 MHz band through a beauty contest. The assignment of the licence will follow the conclusion of the clearing of the band by the current broadcasting user. The reserve price for the block is US$24m for a 15-year licence term with an obligation to cover 95% of the population within 24 months.

AKOS already awarded this spectrum for the provision of machine-to-machine (M2M) business-critical communications services in February 2021. However, the licensee returned the spectrum in 2023, prompting the regulator to repeat the award.

The three main mobile operators each won 100 MHz of unpaired spectrum in the 3.5 GHz auction that completed on 1 July 2024.

A redesigned Cullen International benchmark shows the use of the 700 MHz band in Europe. All EU member states except Poland and Malta have awarded licences to mobile operators, typically 2x30 MHz. Only a few countries use the band for supplemental downlink, public protection and disaster relief, machine-to-machine communications or wireless microphones.

Brazil will auction 2x10 MHz in the 700 MHz band following new entrant operator Winity’s decision to renounce its licence in the band. In the meantime, regulator Anatel decided that operators will have a deadline of 18 months to deploy networks in the band after a temporary licence assignment.

Subtel awarded 50 MHz of spectrum in the 3.4–3.6 GHz band, for a total of CLP 83.5bn (US$88m)