REGULATOR RULES ON AUCTION
Threat of appeal against limits on UK spectrum
London — The UK’s communications regulator plans to limit the amount of wireless spectrum BT Group and Vodafone Group can buy at a coming auction. The long-awaited decision risks being appealed against. Ofcom will cap the amount of immediately usable spectrum an operator can own, which will prevent BT and its EE wireless unit from bidding in the 2.3GHz band. The regulator will also limit how much any carrier can hold of overall spectrum that is expected to be usable by 2020, affecting BT and Vodafone. The regulator, seeking to even out carriers’ airwaves rights and spur competition, announced the rules on Tuesday following consultations over an initial proposal in November. The frequencies being offered will improve fourth-generation networks and support fifth-generation technologies set for roll-out from around 2020. Any appeals could delay 5G. "We want to see this spectrum in use as soon as possible," Philip Marnick, Ofcom’s group director of spectrum, said. "With smartphones and ...
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