The Communications and Information Technology Commission (CITC) has published a public consultation on “Information Memorandum and Auction Rules” for the 5th spectrum auction for International Mobile Telecommunication (IMT) systems. CITC intends to award the spectrum bands (600, 700, and 3800) MHz through the auction on June 19, 2022 in accordance with CITC’s spectrum outlook for commercial and innovative use 2021-2023.
The consultation document outlines various elements of the auction rules, such as the lot structure for each band, the technical conditions and obligations associated with the auction, the auction eligibility, as well as the reserved opening prices.
CITC highlights that this spectrum auction will contribute to expanding 5G wireless network coverage on roads and rural areas in the Kingdom, raising Internet speeds for users, promoting investment and competition in providing wireless services. Furthermore, the auction may present the opportunity for new entrant to provide telecommunication services in the Saudi market.
Auctioning the frequency spectrum is a further step in the Kingdom’s leading position in the ICT sector. Saudi Arabia is the first amongst European, African, and Middle Eastern countries to allocate the spectrum bands (600, 3800-4000 MHz) for IMT and will be ranked first worldwide for the amount of frequency spectrum allocated to IMT in the sub 6 GHz bands.
CITC invites all interested national and international parties to participate in this process by submitting their feedback on the public consultation by the deadline of 7/4/2022
CITC mentioned that it published a public consultation in May 2021 to consult the industry about designing this auction. CITC has set the auction date based on the feedback it received during the consultation period from the stakeholders.
