Vodafone UK confirms, following the announcement by UK communications regulator Ofcom, that in the principal round of the spectrum auction it has acquired spectrum of 2 x 10MHz in the 800MHz band and 2 x 20MHz in the 2.6GHz band plus an additional 25 MHz of unpaired spectrum in the 2.6 GHz band. The spectrum licences are all indefinite in length and have an initial term of 20 years. The total amount payable is £790m.
The spectrum award will support Vodafone UK’s plans to develop the next generation of mobile internet services, known as 4G, using Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology.
Vodafone UK chief executive Guy Laurence said: “We’ve secured the low frequency mobile phone spectrum that will support the launch of our ultra-fast 4G service later this year. It will enable us to deliver services where people really want it, especially indoors. This is great news for our customers. The next generation of mobile internet services will bring real benefits to both consumers and businesses.”