Argentina clearing out 600MHz band for mobile broadband services

Argentine telecom regulator Enacom announced all pay TV operators using the 512-698MHz band must vacate it within two years to free it up for use with mobile broadband services.

The watchdog has made the 12.2-12.7MHz band available for pay TV and value-added data services.

In a statement, the regulator said it was giving licensees in the 512-698MHz band 60 days to present a migration plan and two years to vacate the band.

In addition, licensees still operating in the 698-806MHz band have been given 10 days to confirm their migration plans. The 700MHz band is due to be freed up by July 1. The move is designed to accelerate the process of clearing out the 700Mhz band, which has already been auctioned to mobile operators for use in providing 4G LTE services.

Freeing up the 700MHz and 600MHz bands is also intended to ensure there is sufficient spectrum for the rollout of digital TV.

The US and Mexico have both expressed interest in mobile operators using the 600MHz band for broadband services.

Latin America has failed to achieve mobile communication spectrum allocation goals recommended by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), industry body 5G Americas said in April.

The ITU had suggested that countries should free up by the end of 2015 at least 50% of 1,300MHz of radio spectrum for reallocation to mobile services.

According to a study, four countries in the region allocated over 30% of ITU's suggested 2015 quantity: Brazil (41.7%), Chile (35.8%), Nicaragua (32.3%) and Argentina (31%).