Archive for December 2021
Optus was the big winner and largest payer in the December 2021 auction of 850 and 900 MHz spectrum.
The 900 MHz spectrum spectrum 2X25MHz was allocated vis apparatus license equally to all three carriers when GSM was launched. It will be used when it is made available from 1 July 2024 to top up Optus’ rather meagre low band 5G spectrum. Telstra will add the 2X10MHz of 850Mz spectrum to the 2X10MHz (2X15MHz in regional areas) it already has. Optus’ 900MHz spectrum is continuous whereas Telstra’s has blocks of spectrum between Telstra’s holdings and is probably unlikely to agree to swap to allow Telstra to use its spectrum more efficiently.
Optus paid $1,476M for its acquisition and Telstra $616M. Vodafone TPG did not participate in the auction for either contested spectrum or spectrum which was reserved for it at a reserve price.
The table below summarises the holding of FDD cellular spectrum following the auction. The total spectrum holdings FDD, TDD and mmWave is on the Spectrum page on this web site Here.
