Hewitt Names Applicants for 28 GHz BFWA Auction

DTI Press Release - 6 September 2000

E-Minister Patricia Hewitt today named the companies who have applied to bid in the 28 GHz Broadband Fixed Wireless Access (BFWA) auction in October.

Ms Hewitt said:

"Twelve companies have applied to bid for licences to provide Broadband Fixed Wireless services. This means we can expect a very competitive auction. Broadband Fixed Wireless services will offer both business and consumers cheap, fast internet and multimedia access by radio links instead of down a telephone line."

Applications were submitted by:

Atlas Communications (UK) Ltd

Broadnet UK Ltd

Chorus Communication Ltd

Energis Local Access Ltd

Faultbasic Ltd

FirstMark Communications (UK) Ltd

Formus Communications UK Ltd

Norweb Telecom Ltd

Orange Personal Communications Services Ltd

Priority Wireless (UK) Ltd

Templeco 489 Ltd (which we understand is to be re-named Unica BFWA Ltd)

Winstar Communications Ltd

Applicants who qualify to take part in the auction will be confirmed around the end of September, following the completion of regulatory checks. The auction start date is provisionally set for 16 October – the date will be confirmed by early October.

Three spectrum licences in the 28 GHz band will be auctioned in each of 11 English regions, plus Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Reserve prices range from £4m per licence in London to £100k per licence in Northern Ireland. A full list of reserve prices for each BFWA spectrum licence was attached to press notice P/2000/584 issued on 22 August.

Notes to Editors

1 Details of the auction procedure are contained in the Information Memorandum published on 26 July 2000. It is available on the Radiocommunications Agency website www.radio.gov.uk and in printed form from the Agency's library:

Information and Library Service,
Radiocommunications Agency
Wyndham House,
189 Marsh Wall,
London E14 9SX

Telephone: 020 7211 0502/5; Fax 020 7211 0507; e-mail: library@ra.gsi.gov.uk

2. The auction is set to begin on 16 October in line with the provisional timetable below:

• Submission of applications - 5 September
• Notification of successful pre-qualification - 20 September
• Notice of auction start - 2 October
• Auction starts - 16 October
• Possible auction finish (assuming three weeks) - 6 November
• Notification of pre-conditions by provisional winners - 10 November
• Award of Licences - 8 December

Press Enquiries: 020 7215 2345

(Out of Hours: 020 7215 5110/5600)

Public Enquiries: 020 7215 5000

Textphone (for people with hearing impairments): 020 7215 6740

Website address: http://www.dti.gov.uk

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