On January 17, 2012 ARCEP (Autorité de régulation des communications électroniques et des postes) issued the licences to the three winners to use spectrum in the 800 MHz band to establish and operate a mobile network.

The last December 22, ARCEP issued Decision No. 2011-1510 where three companies (Bouygues Telecom, Orange France and SFR) were selected as the winning candidates in the spectrum allocation procedure for 800 MHz-band frequencies. These frequencies are to be used in the deployment of new-generation (4G) mobile networks which will provide ultra high-speed access to the mobile internet.

Decisions on the Licences can be consulted (in French) through the following links:

- Licence for Bouygues Telecom

- Licence for Orange France

- Licence for SFR

This concludes the 4G licensing procedures that ARCEP carried out last year, first for the 2.6 GHz band and then for the 800 MHz band.

The press Release about Decision No. 2011-1510 can be consulted here, and about the issuance of the licences, at this link in ARCEP’s website.

On October 11 2011, ARCEP issued licenses to the successful candidates in the allocation procedure for 2.6 GHz band spectrum,

Through Decision No. 2011-1080 of 22 September 2011, ARCEP selected the applications of the companies Bouygues Telecom, Free Mobile, Orange France and SFR as part of an allocation procedure for 2.6 GHz band frequencies.

Today, ARCEP brings this procedure to a close by issuing these four companies with licenses to use frequencies in the 2.6 GHz band to establish and operate a mobile radio network open to the public in Metropolitan France, under the terms and conditions stipulated in the call for applications.

These licenses pertain to the quantity of spectrum obtained by each of the winning candidates respectively at the outcome of the procedure, namely a duplex frequency block of 20 MHz for Free Mobile and Orange France, and a duplex frequency block of 15 MHz for Bouygues Telecom and SFR.

ARCEP determined the operators’ positioning within the 2.6 GHz band based on the preferences expressed by each, in accordance with the rules governing the call for applications. The resulting layout of the 2.6 GHz frequency band can be checked at ARCEP’s website, as well as the related decisions (2011-1168, 2011-1169, 2011-1170, 2011-1171) of 11 October 2011 authorizing to use frequencies in the 2.6 GHz to each firm.

ARCEP has published the results of the awards procedure for licences to use the 2.6 GHz frequency band. These frequencies are to be used in the deployment of ultra high-speed (4G) mobile networks.

ARCEP accepted the applications of all four companies, which were received on 15th September 2011:

- The firm Bouygues Telecom will be allocated a duplex frequency block of 15 MHz.

- The firm Free Mobile will be allocated a duplex frequency block of 20 MHz.

- The firm Orange France will be allocated a duplex frequency block of 20 MHz.

- The firm Société Française du Radiotéléphone (SFR) will be allocated a duplex frequency block of 15 MHz.

All of the frequencies that were available have thus been allocated.

In the coming weeks, ARCEP will issue the winning candidates with licences to use their respective frequencies, once it has determined each operator’s position on the 2.6 GHz band.

The allocation procedure for the 2.6 GHz band marks the first stage in the award of 4G licences. The second stage will consist of the allocation procedure for the 800 MHz band, resulting from the digital dividend, for which the deadline for applications is 15th December 2011.

To read the full news, please visit the following link at ARCEP’s website.