Belgium confirms bidders for mobile spectrum
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Belgium confirms bidders for mobile spectrum

No newcomers will enter the Belgian telecoms market this year after the country’s regulator confirmed its three main mobile operators will bid for spectrum in its auction in November.

Belgacom, Mobistar and KPN owned BASE are the three accepted bidders for three licences up for grabs in the 800MHz range.

Cable operator Telenet acquired spectrum in 2011 and uses Mobistar’s network for its mobile offering but the company did not make a bid for new licences this time.

It is unlikely the three companies will bid above the €120 million asking price.

Belgium’s omission of new players is surprising, particularly because a similar auction in the Netherlands in December 2012 raised €3.8 billion when Swedish-based Tele 2 entered the market as a fourth operator.

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