Qualcomm confirmed on Wednesday it has sold its 40 MHz of United Kingdom L-band spectrum to Vodafone and 3UK.
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However, in the European Union, the 1452-1492 MHz bands were specifically harmonised for mobile network supplemental downlink (SDL) in May 2015.
Three and Vodafone are set to boost their 4G coverage and speeds in the UK, after acquiring Qualcomm’s L-Band spectrum.
This will allow mobile operators to manage the increasing demand for data-intensive services such as video and apps.
SDL is likely to increase downlink user experience through aggregation with licensed frequency-division duplexing (FDD) spectrum, and is capable of meeting the demand for more downlink centric services.
The financial terms of the transactions were not disclosed, although Bloomberg suggested the MNOs may have paid out something in the region of £200m between them.
A spokesperson for Three confirmed the purchase, saying: “We can confirm we have successfully bid for spectrum held by Qualcomm UK Spectrum, subject to conditions and Ofcom’s review of the proposed trade”. Both QUKS and Vodafone and H3G will shortly submit respective applications to transfer the spectrum for UK communications regulator Ofcom approval. The spectrum will be available until April 2029. Qualcomm undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements in order to reflect any event or circumstance that may arise after the date of this press release. In response Qualcomm announced a major shake-up.
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