Qualcomm is selling off UK network spectrum, giving mobile operators a chance to increase their 4G capacity.
The US-based chipmaker usually peddles processors for smartphones, but flogging cellular spectrum could make for a quick cash boost.
It first acquired the spectrum back in May 2008, buying it for £8.33 million in an Ofcom auction.
Speaking at the time, Qualcomm’s European MD John Caterer said the spectrum “creates an opportunity for Qualcomm to explore emerging business models and advanced mobile technologies.”
He added: “If we can help the market to harness this potential, we will see additional opportunities for service providers using a variety of technologies.”
Qualcomm is specifically selling 40MHz worth of 1.4GHz L-Band spectrum, which can be used for both 4G/LTE and 3G/HSPA+ networks.
This means any of the UK’s mobile operators could be keen to get involved, including EE, O2, Three, and Vodafone.
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More spectrum allows a mobile operator to keep up with the growing 3G and 4G traffic in the UK.
As 4G becomes more popular, networks will suffer increasing strain, so buying Qualcomm’s spectrum is a solid investment in future business.
Who do you think will place the winning bid on Qualcomm’s newly available network frequencies? Let us know in the comments.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.