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Optus, Telstra, TPG and Vodafone spaff AU$543.5m on spectrum

1800 MHz auction will bring 4G to the Australian bush

Australia has scored AU$543.5m (US$391m) for part of its 1800 MHz spectrum.

The The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has announced the outcome of auctions it initiated in November 2015, with the following results.

Bidder Total price

Optus Mobile

$196 million

Telstra

$191 million

TPG Internet

$88 million

Vodafone

$68 million

The auctions offered access to the 1800Mhz bands beyond Australia's cities, meaning that the sparsely-populated rural areas can now have a better crack at using frequencies that are rather handy for delivering 4G services

Mobile services can quickly degrade only a couple of hundred kilometres beyond Australia's big cities. Your correspondent recently endured a beach break at a popular beach town where even HSPA+ coverage was sparse.

The auction's significant beyond easing frustrations of suddenly-internet-deprived city slickers, as connectivity is increasingly advanced as an important element for those considering automation as an important way to enhance productivity in the agricultural sector. The chance to deliver connectivity to connected things may explain why TPG telecom – which isn't a mobile network operator – outbid Vodafone, which is. Or perhaps TPG's cooking up something in the bush. ®

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