Uruguay’s Regulatory Unit of Communications Services (Unidad Reguladora de Servicios de Comunicaciones, URSEC) has published its first draft of the bidding terms and conditions for the planned auction of spectrum in the 3.5GHz band. Interested parties have been given until 13 February to submit comments on the document, which was formulated following the passing of Decree 425/2022 of 27 December 2022 authorising the allocation by competitive procedure of radio frequencies in the 3.5GHz band for international mobile telecommunications services.

The draft document proposes that three 100MHz lots of spectrum will be allocated, ranging from 3300MHz-3400MHz, 3600MHz-3700MHz (reserved for state-owned incumbent Antel) and 3700MHz-3800MHz. Each 100MHz spectrum package has a minimum initial price of USD28 million, according to the proposal. Rollout obligations include a requirement to deploy 70 base stations within one year, with at least two base stations in a minimum of ten or more departments (excluding Montevideo) required within two years, and at least two base stations in each of the country’s 19 departments by the end of the third year.

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