| Plum assisted CITC with the award of spectrum in the 2300 MHz, 2600 MHz, and 3400 MHz bands. Having cleared this spectrum for IMT use in Saudi Arabia, CITC wished to award this to operators so that they would be able to commence rollout of 5G services and increase capacity of LTE networks. Plum worked with Auctiometrix to develop an auction which would ensure that winning bidders were able to roll out an effective 5G network while retaining suitable competition to lead to an efficient outcome. Plum first identified the appropriate usage and value for spectrum, and consulted with operators to understand their objectives from the award. Following this, Plum recommended an award mechanism to CITC and carried out a number of test exercises to understand how operators would respond to this. Different award mechanisms were chosen for different bands, reflecting the award objectives. Plum then helped CITC to draft the information memoranda ahead of auctions, and helped to run the auctions themselves. |
