Argentina's telecommunications regulator, Enacom, has finally approved the terms for a long-awaited spectrum auction to facilitate 5G services within the country. Enacom has disclosed that it will provide a total of 300 megahertz of spectrum within the 3.3-3.6 GHz bands, divided into three blocks of 100 megahertz each.
Anticipating$350 million revenue per 100 megahertz block, Enacom's auction terms were reached through negotiations with local operators. This price point is lower than the regulator's initial expectations for spectrum revenue. Major local carriers, including Telecom Argentina, Claro (owned by America Movil), and Movistar (owned by Telefonica), are expected to participate in the 5G spectrum auction.
The government has reserved a segment of spectrum within the 3.6-3.7 GHz band for the state-run operator Arsat, to enable the adoption of 5G in the public sector or through agreements with cooperatives and small businesses.