5g Auction27 Jan 2021 10:22
1126 GMT - The U.K.'s 5G spectrum auction could entail risks for U.K. telecom operators, as bidding tension could be higher than expected, UBS says. The auction is now set to begin in March after regulator Ofcom confirmed Monday that the start of bidding would be postponed from late January due to the coronavirus pandemic. Based on recent European spectrum auction benchmarks, total proceeds from the U.K. auction could reach more than GBP3.6 billion, with BT Group paying GBP1.02 billion, UBS says. This would exceed current consensus expectations for BT's auction expenditure, the bank says.