3G spectrum bagged by China Mobile, Hutchison, SmarTone in Hong Kong

Telecom service provider China Mobile Hong Kong has bagged two separate 3G spectrums after six rounds of bidding yesterday.

With this, China Mobile increased its local spectrum holdings to more than 16 percent from zero. China Mobile will control 19.6 MHz of 3G spectrum.

Hutchison Telecommunications Hong Kong Holdings, which acquired 9.8 MHz of spectrum yesterday, will have a combined 29.6 MHz spectrum, while SmarTone will possess 39.6 MHz after winning 19.8 MHz at the auction.

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An OFCA spokesman said the carriers would have about two years to prepare for the necessary network reconfiguration and the roll out their networks. The new spectrum will be operational for 15 years from October 22, 2016.

In 2001, OFCA assigned 118.4 MHz of spectrums to four telecom operators including Hong Kong Telecommunications, CSL, Hutchison Telephone and SmarTone.

Earlier this year, the agency has re-assigned about two-thirds of the spectrums, or 69.2 MHz, to HKT, HTCL and SmarTone.

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