BTK sets EUR2.3bn floor price for frequency auction

Turkish regulator Bilgi Teknolojileri ve Iletisim Kurumu (BTK) has supplied further details regarding its planned multi-band spectrum auction, setting the combined floor price for the licences on offer at EUR2.298 billion (USD2.433 billion). 20 spectrum lots across the 800MHz, 900MHz, 1800MHz, 2100MHz and 2600MHz bands will be made available, with a total bandwidth of 390.4MHz going under the hammer. Winning bidders will be permitted to purchase the frequencies outright, or in four, six-monthly instalments, plus interest.

As previously reported by TeleGeography’s CommsUpdate, the auction is scheduled to take place in May 2015. Alongside incumbent trio Turkcell, Vodafone Turkey and Avea, a block of 2600MHz spectrum will also be reserved for a new market entrant, although there will be no obligation for the newcomer to introduce GSM services. The government hopes that the cellcos will launch commercial services by end-2015 and extend 4G coverage to 90% of the population within six years.