Four Colombian operators have been given the go-ahead to participate in the country's 5G auction.
Claro, Partners Telecom Colombia (WOM), Union Temporal Colombia Móvil-Telefónica (a network-sharing JV between Tigo and Movistar), and Sociedad Futura Telecall Colombia have all been authorized by Colombia’s Ministry of Information Technologies and Communications (MinTIC).
Telecall is a Brazilian telco looking to enter the Colombian market as a fourth provider.
The auction, which is due to take place on December 20, is expected to raise around $500 million, according to the government.
Frequencies up for grabs include 700 MHz, 1,900 MHz, 2,500 MHz, and 3,500 MHz, plus others in the extended AWS band of frequencies, which range from 1,700 MHz to 2,100 MHz.
Earlier this year, Tigo and Movistar signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to create a jointly owned infrastructure company that will see the pair share their mobile access networks, with an eye on the deployment of future 5G networks.
Neighboring Argentina held its 5G auction in October. While it was expected to raise just over $1 billion, it actually raised $875m.
