Hong Kong’s Communications Authority (CA) announced it will auction 15-year licenses for 20 MHz of spectrum in the 850/900 MHz bands and 90 MHz of spectrum in the 2.3 GHz band in 2024. The decision came after public comment periods were held between November 2022 and January 2023.
According to the CA, the auctions will add spectrum in low-band, known for its coverage characteristics, and high-band, needed for capacity, to the country’s 5G operators. “The superb radio propagation characteristics of the spectrum in the 850/900 MHz bands are conducive to operators’ provision of wide network coverage in a cost-effective manner, while the spectrum in the 2.3 GHz band has good radio propagation characteristics for providing good network coverage and wider bandwidth capable of supporting higher transmission capacity,” a spokesman for the CA said.
Auction winners will be able to turn on the spectrum when existing assignments expire. In the case of the 850/900 MHz, that date is May 31, 2026, while the 2.3 GHz band assignments will begin March 29, 2027.
China Mobile Hong Kong was the highest bidder in Hong Kong’s most recent spectrum auction, which was held in October 2021. The auction generated $242 million from the sale of 255 MHz of spectrum in 700 MHz, 850 MHz, 2.5 GHz to 2.6 GHz and 4.9 GHz bands. Other bidders in that auction included HKT, SmarTone, and Hutchison Telephone.
China Mobile Hong Kong holds the most spectrum in the territory, with 20 MHz of 1.8 GHz, 30 MHz of 2.3 GHz, 35 MHz of 2.6GHz, 60 MHz of 3.5 GHz and 80 MHz of 4.9 GHz, according to Mobile World Live.
By J. Sharpe Smith, Inside Towers Technology Editor
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