The Swiss Federal Communications Commission (ComCom) plans to auction existing and new mobile radio frequencies, with the invitation to tender expected in the course of 2010. The Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM) has been instructed to prepare the tender documentation. ComCom will allocate the current GSM and UMTS licences which expire on 31 December 2013 and 2016 respectively, plus frequencies in the 790-862 MHz band which will be released as part of the digital dividend by 2015.

The Federal Communications Commission (ComCom) has instructed the Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM) to prepare the allocation of mobile radio frequencies which are either currently free or which will become free in the foreseeable future. ComCom is expected to launch the public invitation to tender for these frequencies in the course of the next year. The allocation of frequencies will take place by auction.

ComCom has instructed OFCOM to begin the preparatory work for the public invitation to tender for mobile radio frequencies which are either currently free or which will become free in the foreseeable future. The invitation to tender is taking place with particular reference to the current GSM and UMTS licences which expire on 31 December 2013 and 2016 respectively. In addition, other frequencies from various mobile radio bands will be available for the provision of mobile radio services (cf. box below). It is intended that an early allocation of these frequencies will offer players in the market a long-term perspective for planning.

The re-allocation of these frequencies will take place by auction, thereby conforming to the principles of transparency and equal treatment of all interested parties. The proposed procedure is intended on the one hand to enable any new operators to acquire mobile radio frequencies. On the other hand, existing operators will have the possibility of equipping themselves with sufficient frequencies for the future.

OFCOM will now prepare the tender documentation and the design of the auction for the attention of ComCom. On this basis, ComCom will decide on the next steps and is expected to launch the invitation to tender for the mobile radio frequencies in the course of 2010. The invitation to tender will be open to all interested companies.

The invitation to tender concerns the frequencies in the following mobile radio bands:

- 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz and 2600 MHz, as well as the GSM frequencies allocated to In&Phone, Orange, Sunrise and Swisscom until the end of 2013 and the UMTS frequencies allocated to Orange, Sunrise and Swisscom until the end of 2016;

- the so-called "digital dividend" frequencies in the frequency band from 790 to 862 MHz, which should be available for mobile services in future.