The auction raised £1.35 billion, with EE taking the largest haul. Today Ofcom published the final auction results, while O2 and Vodafone said they would trade bands.
The final spectrum allocations and prices are as follows:
Bidder | Holding | Fee paid |
EE Limited
| 723-733 MHz and 778-788 MHz; 738-758 MHz; and 3680-3720 MHz
| £475 million |
Hutchison 3G UK Limited
| 713-723 MHz and 768-778 MHz.
| £280 million |
Telefónica UK Limited
| 703-713 MHz and 758-768 MHz; and 3760-3800 MHz.
| £448 million |
Vodafone Limited
| 3720-3760 MHz.
| £176.4 million |
Following the initial auction results, O2 and Vodafone are to trade bands to create more efficient blocks of 5G spectrum.
The move will, subject to approval from Ofcom, create a contiguous block of 80Mhz for O2, and ensure good proximity of Vodafone’s blocks totalling 90MHz of spectrum.
Ahmed Essam, CEO of Vodafone UK: “The result of this auction and our agreement with O2 will help us continue our mission of connecting our customers for a better future. It means we have the best possible spectrum to continue giving our customers a fast and reliable 5G service. It will also enable us to open up amazing new possibilities for our enterprise customers, putting Britain at the forefront of innovation in vital areas like assisted surgery, remote training, and factory automation.”
Mark Evans, CEO of O2, added: “This year O2 is investing more than ever in its network to improve coverage and experience. Securing contiguous blocks of spectrum is crucial to harnessing the true power of 5G - we will have the strongest indoor and outdoor connectivity and an ultra-reliable frequency.
“O2 is a champion for coverage and reliability, and remains committed to responsibly and securely improving the network experience for all our customers across the UK. This deal with Vodafone is further evidence of our commitment to customers and we’re hugely excited about the possibilities of our 5G network.”
