700 Mhz Spectrum Usage

Yep, that’s ComReg. Crowing about the money they’re extracting from the industry while forgetting that it’s our (consumers’) money and at the same time giving two fingers to coverage.

This was the original O2 3G 2100 MHz B licence issued back in October 2002. The interim licence was granted to bridge the gap between the expiry of the original licence and the start of the new short-term licence period beginning October 16th. Interim licence fee is €120,508 per 2 x 5 MHz block. I assume they have applied for all 3 blocks.

The original Three Ireland 3G 2100 MHz A licence issued back in July 2002 and expired late Jul. Comreg offered Three Ireland an interim A licence to 15 October. Three originally had 3 blocks of spectrum, 2 x 15 MHz, but opted to retain only 1 block, 2 x 5 MHz, on the interim licence due to the licence fee cost, €725,415 per 2 x 5 MHz block. The other 2 block remain vacant until awarded post MBSA2.

Vodafone's original 3G 2100 MHz B licence, 2 x 15 MHz, expires 15 October.

eircom's original 3G 2100 MHz B licence, 2 x 15 MHz, expires March 2027.

Meanwhile, the case is back before two courts next week, the High Court on Monday 17th October and the Court of Appeal on Wednesday 19th October.

The CoA hearing is Comreg appealing the High Court's Mr Justice McDonald's stay order on the multi-band spectrum auction last July

In the High Court the case is on the commercial motions list for Monday before Mr Justice McDonald, not sure why but guessing it might be do with the following. Submissions and affidavits were made last Thursday and Friday.

In the High Court the case is on the commercial motions list for Monday 17th before Mr Justice McDonald, not sure why but guessing it might be do with the following. Submissions and affidavits were made last Thursday and Friday.

• 17/10/2022 Commercial Full Hearing IN RELATION TO COSTS - Order made

Probably, I suppose not much to report in any case, each side arguing whether or not the HC stay order should be lifted. We should see what the arguments were once the judgment is published.

I can't even get a decent 2100mhz signal from three now I'm guessing it's because they didn't purchase the 2x 15mhz band? Any chance they will in the future? Might look into eir.

I was getting great speeds at Band 1 (2100mhz) 60-70 Mbps at 15mhz and now can barely connect to the 5mhz B1 and get less than 1Mpbs. Hope the auction for it opens up soon and they get the 15mhz back running.

Auction process may proceed it seems, but the results may not be implemented before judgement on the main issue.

So if ComReg want to spend money on running the auction in its current format they'd have to be fairly confident that Justice O'Moore won't subsequently judge it to be an unfair format.

My understanding is that ComReg's choice of CCA as the auction type (Main Stage) was itself at issue in the legal proceedings and might be subject to O'Moore's judgement.

Yes, I presume it's the regulars.

btw, O'Moore has more work lined up; ComReg have had another bad day, this time in the CJEU in relation to the USO compensation saga.

Short-Term ECS Licences expiring 1 January 2023, renewal applications

€448m return for the state (subject to the outcome of the high court case)

19 year licences.

Three provisionally award 2 x 10 MHz in the 700 MHz band, footnote 4. This exceeds the < 1 GHz spectrum cap by 1block of 2 x 5 MHz. Retention of this block will depend on the high court judgment.

AFAIK this refers to cell edge performance for a single user having access to the entire 700MHz spectrum available in the cell (>150Km sq). Even then the condition won't be mandatory for 7 years, and cannot be measured meaningfully under the current testing regime, and still won't meet the EU 5g target from the Gigabit Communication of 2016.

The last two paragraphs of ComReg's notice look like an unsubtle attempt to influence the pending judgement.

Interesting to see the difference in the net cost per block/month as between the temporary licences and these 19 year licences. Alas the CCA auction format makes that nigh impossible, so we'll never know whether the consultants added anything to the net monetary value of the allocation.

ComReg ploughing on with the assignment stage, no sign of a written judgement yet.

Update:

I assumed at the time the process didn't include the Assignment and Negotiation Phases but looking at the Comreg notice the order just prevents them awarding the licences until the judgment is delivered.

What happens the sub 1 GHz spectrum cap?

Three appears to have been awarded the 2 blocks of 700 MHz spectrum, thus exceeding the cap. The auction rules don't appear to have been changed, yet?