The ACMA has lifted results from the digital dividend auction, which saw Telstra, Optus and TPG take up some of that spectrum that will be released at the end of next year.
The three telcos spent nearly $2 billion between them to acquire spectrum for their 4G networks, with more than half of it coming from Telstra. Vodafone didn’t bid for the spectrum this time, but the surprise bidder of TPG did instead.
The licenses sold today can’t be used until 2015, after the analogue TV services are turned off. But they will primarily be used for 4G services to make the networks faster, more reliable and improve regional coverage.
There is still about 1/3 of spectrum that didn’t sell, which Communications Minister, Stephen Conroy has said the government intends to revisit the sale of that in “the next two or three years”.
Below is what each of them paid:
