Hong Kong telecom regulator OFTA on Monday concluded its spectrum auction on the 2.3 GHz band, raising spectrum utilization fees of HK$470 million ($60.6 million).
Hutchison Telecom subsidiary Hutchison Telephone Company Limited and 21 ViaNet Group Limited - a major carrier-neutral internet data center services provider in China, each paid HK$150 million for 30 MHz of spectrum. China Mobile Hong Kong paid with highest bid of HK$170 million.
Hong Kong Telecom, the telecom arm of PCCW, also took part in the auction but did not secure any spectrum.
The spectrum will be assigned under a 15-year unified carrier license. The licensees will be required to provide mobile services coverage to a minimum of 50% of the Hong Kong population - or fixed services coverage to at least 200 commercial and/or residential buildings - within five years from the license grant, OFTA said in a statement.
Hutchison Telecom said “with the additional spectrum, the group is well-positioned to further expand its present LTE/FDD network [to be operated by Genius Brand, its joint venture with HKT] into an FDD/ TDD dual-mode network over time.”
In addition to the LTE network, which is yet to be in operational, Hutchison Telecom had successfully bid for the 900MHz spectrum last year and has been using the new spectrum to expand network capacity, coverage and increase the speed of its mobile data services to meet customers’ ever-increasing demand for data services, the company added.