High price means UPC and Ziggo pull out of LTE auction

Dutch cable operators UPC and Ziggo have decided not to bid for LTE frequency.

The operators, which have participated through a joint-venture in the Dutch multiband spectrum licences auction for mobile services, have not acquired a new spectrum licence during this auction having considered the price too high given the additional revenues they expected to get from owning a licence.

In a statement, Ziggo said both companies have experience in offering mobile services and are planning to expand their mobile offering in the coming years using the already acquired 2.6 GHz spectrum in 2010, via Wifi and through existing MVNO agreements.