By the end of 2019 the spectrum will be auctioned at 700 and 1900 MHz

By the end of 2019 the spectrum will be auctioned at 700 and 1900 MHz

ICT Ministry announced work schedule for the public good offer. 

     The expected auction of the spectrum in the 700 and 1900 MHz bands will take place this year. This was stated by the Ministry of Information Technologies and Communications (MinTIC) on Monday with the announcement of the 'Spectrum Auction Action Plan', which defines the first schedule of this government in the auction process.

In recent years, the allocation of these two frequencies has been surrounded by great expectations because this spectrum is desired between network providers and telecommunications services, as it represents an opportunity to deploy their infrastructure, which translates into greater coverage.

   For example , the 700 Mhz band is the portion of the spectrum that will allow greater deployment of the 4G network in Colombia and is essential to reach remote populations.


According to the document, in the second quarter of the year an action plan will be published detailing the auction process. The plan is expected to set out the conditions, such as the model, price and date. During that quarter, operators who previously expressed their interest to participate will be invited.

Then, in the third quarter, the Ministry will publish the project for comments, a process that will be accompanied by the Superintendence of Industry and Commerce and the respective control bodies.

Finally, in the fourth quarter a final resolution will be published and the auction will be held.

The announcement comes at a time when the government hopes to take forward the ICT modernization project, which will have to be debated again in Congress this year and, among its proposals, contemplating extending the duration of the spectrum license in the country up to 20 years, which today, is granted by 10.

Previously, in an interview with EL TIEMPO, the TIC vice minister, Iván Mantilla, said: "This year we will do the auction with or without a bill. If Congress approves it, as we trust it will, because the benefit for the country can be much bigger (...) So let's do the auction this year, the time in which the operators begin to deploy the infrastructure can take from two to six years ".

We need the frequency of 700 mhz to provide more coverage, connect more than 50 percent of the population

For Juan Carlos Archila, executive vice president of international relations at América Móvil, the Ministry's decision represents "a fundamental step" that boosts investments in the market and modernizes the sector.

In his concept, "this process must be accompanied by clear rules of the game that promote investment in infrastructure by all competitors, because, undoubtedly, users will benefit from greater access, better prices and a range of services. of the latest technology We need the frequency of 700 mhz to provide more coverage, connect more than 50 percent of the population , which today does not have access to the internet , be more efficient and that can eventually be used for 5G. "

For his part, Marcelo Cataldo, president of TigoUne, said that although the Plan is "a preliminary approach", it is also an "opportunity to balance the court".

"In the mobile market the position of a dominant operator is consolidated and, therefore, it is necessary to make effective measures to solve the competition problems that exist to avoid this concentration in the voice and data service, since that translates into a loss of benefit for users, "he said.