On 20 April bidding commenced in the 2.6GHz auction in the Netherlands using DotEcon’s WebBidder auction platform. Five applicants were qualified by the Dutch telecoms regulator, Agentschap Telecom, to bid for spectrum in the auction. The auction is set to allocate up to 190MHz in the 2.6GHz band along with 9.7MHz of spectrum at 2010MHz.
The Netherlands has adopted a flexible band plan for the 2.6GHz band, allowing for market determination of the split of paired and unpaired spectrum within the award process. This auction is implemented using the combinatorial clock auction format, originally developed by DotEcon and already used by Ofcom in the UK for a number of spectrum awards. The price paid by winners in this auction is determined based on the concept of opportunity costs using the so-called second price rule.
The Netherland’s Agentschap Telecom is executing the role of Auctioneer during the auction, with on-site advice being provided by DotEcon.