Four bidders prequalify for AWS-3 and 2.3GHz Bands that will improve nationwide 4G mobile service

This is an automated translation of the original release published in Spanish.

ProInversión statement

April 28, 2023

The Private Investment Promotion Agency (PROINVERSIÓN) reported that four companies have prequalified as bidders in the Special Public Tender process for the award of the AWS-3 and 2.3 GHz Radioelectric Spectrum Band projects, which will improve mobile service 4G (telephony and internet) nationwide.

The companies that have pre-qualified as bidders are: Telefónica del Perú S.A.A., América Móvil Perú S.A.C., Entel Perú S.A. and Viettel Perú S.A.C.

The prequalified bidders will be able to present their offers at the award ceremony of the good pro scheduled for June 2023. “That the four mobile telephone operators have prequalified as bidders is an indicator of confidence in our processes and in the investment opportunities offered by our country,” highlighted the executive director of PROINVERSIÓN, José Salardi.

The AWS-3 and 2.3 GHz Radio Spectrum Bands projects, promoted by PROINVERSIÓN on behalf of the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC), are very important for the country, because they will allow a greater number of rural localities nationwide -which today they do not have services or they only have 2G or 3G services - they can improve and have 4G mobile services.

Accessing in this way to have more information, better quality of their communications and receive distance education services (tele-education) and tele-health, which today are of vital importance.

THE PROJECTS

In the current bidding process, the AWS-3 Band is divided into two blocks: Block A of 2x15 MHz and Block B of 2x15 MHz, so that a bidder can present its offer for one or both blocks. For its part, the 2.3 GHz Band maintains a single 30 MHz block.

The allocation of said blocks will be defined in the act of good pro, exclusively based on the offer made by the bidders of the rural localities where the 4G mobile service will be provided within a certain period (Mandatory Investment Commitments).

The execution of the Mandatory Investment Commitments of both projects will encourage investment in infrastructure in remote areas where there is no 4G mobile coverage; thus contributing to reduce the gap in telecommunications and expanding the footprint of mobile operators in rural areas of the country.

There are eight (8) types of localities that could benefit, classified according to the difficulty of their access and current availability of infrastructure for the provision of mobile services. For the AWS-3 Band (divided into two blocks) there are 6,280 locations for free selection, divided into two bags; and for the 2.3 GHz Band there is a pool of 1,196 locations, also for free selection.

The duration of the concession of both AWS-3 and 2.3 GHz Bands will be 20 years.