Spectrum Award for FWA at 3.4 GHz PFWACC Meeting 7 th May 2002

The Team Radiocommunications Agency WS Atkins Management Consultants Schema Professor Ian Jewitt Denton Wilde Sapte Radiocommunications Agency WS Atkins Management Consultants Schema Professor Ian Jewitt Denton Wilde Sapte

Presentation structure What is on offer? Where are we in the award process? Licence Packaging Award process – Payment mechanism – BIOLI Auction details What happens next? What is on offer? Where are we in the award process? Licence Packaging Award process – Payment mechanism – BIOLI Auction details What happens next?

What is the process about? Award of radio spectrum licences at 3.4 GHz for Fixed Wireless Access or Radio in the Local Loop… … suitable for providing a range of broadband services; typically up to 2Mbps to the end user Award of radio spectrum licences at 3.4 GHz for Fixed Wireless Access or Radio in the Local Loop… … suitable for providing a range of broadband services; typically up to 2Mbps to the end user

MHz Duplex 20 MHz FWA Uplink 20 MHz FWA Downlink Available Spectrum - new arrangement  CEPT Rec Compliant  6 MHz extra  Compatible with other EU

Analysis carried out so far…. – Market research – Market modelling – Technology review – Network and cost modelling – Economic value analysis – Business case valuation – Award process design – Spectrum re-alignment – Market research – Market modelling – Technology review – Network and cost modelling – Economic value analysis – Business case valuation – Award process design – Spectrum re-alignment

…the calendar ahead May / June July Oct  Consultation process  One-to-one presentations  Regional road-shows Notice/ Regulations Information Memorandum Applications July Award Process Sept

Objectives of licence packaging design and award process To ensure efficient and effective use of the available spectrum To promote competition and innovation To avoid spectrum sterilisation To allow operators with viable business cases to bid To ensure efficient and effective use of the available spectrum To promote competition and innovation To avoid spectrum sterilisation To allow operators with viable business cases to bid

Principles in determination of licence regions (1) Iterative process Segmentation of market at post-code level – Subscriber density – Propensity to purchase analysis of SMEs and consumers – Types of services Pricing – driven by market prices – Levels of competition from other service providers ….yields potential market share for the FWA operator Iterative process Segmentation of market at post-code level – Subscriber density – Propensity to purchase analysis of SMEs and consumers – Types of services Pricing – driven by market prices – Levels of competition from other service providers ….yields potential market share for the FWA operator

Principles in determination of licence regions (2) Engineering considerations: – Spectrum and Capacity – RF Performance and Range – Interference and Co-ordination – Products and Technologies Trade-off: bandwidth requirements, QoS required, customer numbers and amount of spectrum (service contention ratio) Modelling of network deployment Financing assumptions ….to analysis of the business case NPV Sensitivity analysis Engineering considerations: – Spectrum and Capacity – RF Performance and Range – Interference and Co-ordination – Products and Technologies Trade-off: bandwidth requirements, QoS required, customer numbers and amount of spectrum (service contention ratio) Modelling of network deployment Financing assumptions ….to analysis of the business case NPV Sensitivity analysis

Licence packaging UK split into 8 areas: ‘hot spots’ + contiguous ‘provincial’ areas 15 licence areas: – 7 “Metro” Licences cover main metropolitan areas – 7 “Provincial” Licences cover less densely populated areas, include smaller towns – 1 “combined” for Northern Ireland UK split into 8 areas: ‘hot spots’ + contiguous ‘provincial’ areas 15 licence areas: – 7 “Metro” Licences cover main metropolitan areas – 7 “Provincial” Licences cover less densely populated areas, include smaller towns – 1 “combined” for Northern Ireland

MapMap – Scotland Central Scotland Metro Scotland Province – North Tyne-Tees Metro North of England Province – North West & Yorks Northern Metro North West, Yorks and North Wales Province – Midlands Midlands Metro Midlands and Mid Wales Province – South West Severnside Metro South West and South Wales Province – South South Coast Metro Southern Province – South East Greater London Metro South East Province – Northern Ireland

Subscriber Data Highlights (Metro) Licence Households Business Sites (by employees) Land Area (km 2 ) 70% Coverage Sources : PAF, Yellow Pages Greater London South Coast Severnside Midlands North West & Yorks Tyne-Tees Central Scotland 4,800, , ,000 2,160,000 3,900,000 1,000,000 1,100,000 1, ,300 2, ,500 65,600 38, , ,000 51,100 64,000 16,700 2,500 1,750 6,900 10,500 2,500 3,300

Subscriber Data Highlights (Provinces) Licence Households Business Sites (by employees) Land Area (km 2 ) 70% Coverage Sources : PAF, Yellow Pages Scotland Northern England NW, Yorks & N Wales Midlands & Mid Wales South West & S Wales Southern South East Northern Ireland 1,130, ,000 1,370,000 1,460,000 2,150, ,000 2,670, ,000 10,900 3,600 5,750 5,100 7,250 2,350 9,300 6,544 2, ,750 2, ,800 2,250 60,300 17,500 63,300 87,100 30,200 24,000 89,400 43,900

The Award Process (1) Auction 1 Simultaneous multi-round ascending auction 15 available licences 1 licence per area Auction 2 – unsold licences ‘on the table’ for 1 year 1st price sealed-bid auction Same reserve price as with SMRA 30 days from initial bid

The Award Process (2) 15-year term Licences for provision of FWA services – to end users – wholesale provision to ISPs and Telcos – backhaul of own FWA traffic incl. that resulting from wholesale Technology neutral approach No restrictions on number of licences Full transparency on cross-ownership Staged payments BIOLI clause 15-year term Licences for provision of FWA services – to end users – wholesale provision to ISPs and Telcos – backhaul of own FWA traffic incl. that resulting from wholesale Technology neutral approach No restrictions on number of licences Full transparency on cross-ownership Staged payments BIOLI clause

Payment mechanism Staged payments with no requirement for bankers’ guarantees 3 equal instalments over 15 years: – upon grant of licence – 5 th anniversary of award – 10 th anniversary of award Option to return the licence at the end of the 5-year period, no further payments or penalties (12 months’ notice) … ‘renewable’ licence over 3 five-year periods Staged payments with no requirement for bankers’ guarantees 3 equal instalments over 15 years: – upon grant of licence – 5 th anniversary of award – 10 th anniversary of award Option to return the licence at the end of the 5-year period, no further payments or penalties (12 months’ notice) … ‘renewable’ licence over 3 five-year periods

Why staged payments? Lower up-front costs for operators Option to return the licence: – greater flexibility to operators – “unwanted” spectrum can be reallocated Encourage participation Lower up-front costs for operators Option to return the licence: – greater flexibility to operators – “unwanted” spectrum can be reallocated Encourage participation

BIOLI (1) Build-It-Or-Lose-It requirement Minimum number of base stations to be deployed by the end of year 5 Equivalent mesh technology access points Connectivity to core network Build-It-Or-Lose-It requirement Minimum number of base stations to be deployed by the end of year 5 Equivalent mesh technology access points Connectivity to core network

BIOLI (2)

Eligibility depends on activity level previous round (first round = 15) Activity level = Nr of licences on which current high bidder last round + Nr of licences on which bidder made valid new bid Waivers – instead of valid bid – Allows bidder time to regroup – 3 waivers allowed Eligibility depends on activity level previous round (first round = 15) Activity level = Nr of licences on which current high bidder last round + Nr of licences on which bidder made valid new bid Waivers – instead of valid bid – Allows bidder time to regroup – 3 waivers allowed SMRA auction details (1)

SMRA auction details (2) Withdrawals (of a single bid) – allows bidders to pursue and change ‘aggregation’ strategies – 4 withdrawals – Can withdraw current high bid – Penalty equal to difference of withdrawn bid and eventual selling price (or reserve if unsold) – No penalty if subsequently sold at higher price – New current price set by the RA (normally at previous high bid – but RA reserves the right to adjust subsequently) Withdrawals (of a single bid) – allows bidders to pursue and change ‘aggregation’ strategies – 4 withdrawals – Can withdraw current high bid – Penalty equal to difference of withdrawn bid and eventual selling price (or reserve if unsold) – No penalty if subsequently sold at higher price – New current price set by the RA (normally at previous high bid – but RA reserves the right to adjust subsequently)

SMRA auction details (3) Info given to bidders at each round: – Current high bid on each licence – Identity of each current high bidder – Range of admissible bids on each licence – Eligibility level (bidding credits) of all bidders – Required activity level parameter Info given to bidders at each round: – Current high bid on each licence – Identity of each current high bidder – Range of admissible bids on each licence – Eligibility level (bidding credits) of all bidders – Required activity level parameter

SMRA auction details (4) Info given to bidders (cont’d): – Details of any withdrawals – Details of any waivers – Details of any retirements from auction – Nr of withdrawals each bidder has left – Nr of waivers each bidder has left Info given to bidders (cont’d): – Details of any withdrawals – Details of any waivers – Details of any retirements from auction – Nr of withdrawals each bidder has left – Nr of waivers each bidder has left

SMRA bidding round waivenot waive Proceed to next round No loss of eligibility With loss of 1 waiver holdWithdraw bid bidnot bid Licences on which current high bidder Licences on which NOT current high bidder Start of auction round

SMRA round (cont’d) holdwithdrawbidnot bid Counts for act. level RA compares with other new bids to determine new high bid Does not count for act. level RA takes other new bid or reverts to previous high bid Does not count for act. level RA takes other new bid or reverts to previous high bid Counts for act. level RA compares with other new bids to determine new high bid Begin next round Pay winning bid Pay withdrawal penalty if no further higher bid No penalty if subsequent higher bid

Unsold Licences? Left on table until an application is made (1 year) Application triggers : – Sale at reserve if no other interested party – Simple auction for each licence (not simultaneous) if 2 or more bidders – Initiator committed to bid at least reserve price Sealed bid auction (30 days) – Straightforward: highest bid wins – Winner pays bid Left on table until an application is made (1 year) Application triggers : – Sale at reserve if no other interested party – Simple auction for each licence (not simultaneous) if 2 or more bidders – Initiator committed to bid at least reserve price Sealed bid auction (30 days) – Straightforward: highest bid wins – Winner pays bid

What next? Closing date for comments 30 May 2002 Summary to be made available by 10 June Individual presentations by the Consultants to interested operators Regional roadshows Closing date for comments 30 May 2002 Summary to be made available by 10 June Individual presentations by the Consultants to interested operators Regional roadshows