France to launch LTE auction at end of May

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France's digital economy minister Eric Besson announced that the government will launch the LTE licence tender at the end of May.

A total of 30 MHz of spectrum will be divided in four lots with no bidder eligible for more than 15 MHz. The number of lots corresponds to the number of mobile carriers in France: existing operators Orange, SFR and Bouygues Telecom and licence holder Free Mobile, due to launch service in January 2012. Speaking at a conference organized by French telecom regulator Arcep, Besson also announced that he and the minister for social cohesion Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin were launching a social mobile tariff in partnership with MVNO Zero Forfait. The country's first social tariff in mobile communications will give people on government benefits 40 minutes of calls and 40 SMS a month for EUR 10. The minister said the government was also working with the European Commission on launching a social tariff for broadband Internet access before the summer.


France to launch LTE auction at end of May