Singapore plans to auction 700 MHz, 900 MHz, 2.3 GHz and 2.5 GHz spectrum in 2016 with spectrum set-asides to encourage market entry by at least one new competitor.
IDA proposes to set aside 60 MHz out of the 225 MHz of spectrum, making it available at minimum prices of S$40 million, available only to potential new entrants.
Any new entrants will have to build a new network with full coverage by the end of September 2018. In the Singapore city-state, that should not be too difficult.
The auction reserve price for the 700 MHz and 900 MHz bands is set at $20 million per 5 MHz pair, while minimum prices for the 2.3 GHz and 2.5 GHz bands are set at $5 million per 5 MHz block.
Given the size of Singapore’s mobile market and global market developments, IDA does not at this juncture see Singapore’s mobile market being able to sustain more than four nationwide infrastructure players with new MVNOs also entering the market.
