Ofcom, the official regulator for the UK, plans to auction spectrum in the 2.3 GHz and 3.4 GHz bands in late 2015 or early 2016. The bands are expected to be of interest to the mobile industry. Ofcom intends to hold an auction for a total of 190 MHz of spectrum in the two bands – equivalent to around three-quarters of the airwaves released by Ofcom through the 4G auction in 2013. The spectrum is currently used by the Ministry of Defence.
Ofcom noted that many existing mobile handsets from major manufacturers, including the Apple iPhone 5 and 6, HTC Desire and Samsung Galaxy, are already compatible with the 2.3 GHz spectrum in other markets. The band is so far being used for high-speed 4G mobile broadband networks in 10 countries outside Europe, including China, India and Australia.
The 3.4 GHz band is currently being used for 4G wireless broadband in six countries including the UK, Canada and Spain.
