Dublin, 15 November 2012 - Three, Ireland's high speed network, today welcomed ComReg's announcement in relation to the multi-band spectrum auction results. ComReg revealed that Three had won a strong portfolio of spectrum at the lowest portfolio price of 51.14 million euros. The allocation more than doubles Three's current spectrum holding which will support Three's strategy of continued investment in its network long-term, will improve network coverage nationwide (indoor and outdoor) and enable speeds of up to 180 Mbps.
Robert Finnegan, CEO of Three Ireland commented: "We are delighted with the outcome of the auction - it gives us the best of both worlds, a strong portfolio at the best price. Our strategy was to acquire a flexible mix of spectrum that would allow us to continue to be Ireland's leading high speed network at the lowest cost. This result will enables the roll-out of new technologies such as LTE with speeds of up to 180 Mbps but also allows us to continue to invest in our network going forward.
Robert added: "Three's network was built for data, we do not have to support old GSM handsets and legacy technologies in the same way as the old networks, so we do not need the same mix of spectrum. The 51.14 million euros price tag means we are in a very good position to continue to offer the very best value to consumers and the best service."
Today's announcement also confirmed that Three's portfolio of spectrum has increased more than any other operator with an addition of 25MHz, whereas the old networks saw a far smaller increase - of 10MHz by 02, 10MHz by Meteor and 20MHz by Vodafone. Benefiting from four blocks of 1800 MHz, Three will be able to roll-out high speeds of up to 180 Mbps and its allocation under 1GHz will boost rural coverage and provide enhanced 3G services.
In addition to Three's spectrum portfolio, the company also recently announced a network infrastructure sharing agreement that will increase network coverage nationwide to over 2000 sites and provide further cost efficiencies that will support the rapid roll-out of new services such as LTE.
For more information, see ComReg.ie for their full announcement.
Contacts information
Rachel Channing, PR and Communications Director, Three Ireland
Mobile: + 353 830 02 85 18
Press office: + 353 833 00 00 33
Mail: 3PR@three.ie
Notes to Editors
See ComReg,ie for the full news release
The winning packages* are:
A bit about Hutchison Whampoa
- Three is 100% owned by Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. (HWL), a renowned multinational conglomerate committed to innovation and technology. Its diverse businesses employ over a quarter of a million people in 52 countries worldwide.
- HWL's operations range from some of the world's biggest port operators and retailers, to property development and infrastructure, to innovative telecommunications and data services.
- HWL is a leading global operator of mobile telecommunications and data services and a major owner and operator of fibre-optic fixed-line networks in Hong Kong.
A bit about Three
- Three operates 3G services in Ireland, UK, Austria, Denmark, Hong Kong, Italy, Macau and Sweden. We have over 22 million customers in Europe alone.
- Launched in Ireland in 2005, Three is now the country's largest high-speed network and fastest-growing operator*.
- Three has invested over €800 million in building its Irish network.
- Three has a track record of firsts for Irish consumers including:-
- Bringing Skype to mobile
- The launch of mobile broadband;
- Introducing innovative flexible price plans;
- Launching unlimited internet with "All You Can Eat Data"
- Delivering domestic rates for customers roaming on Three's networks abroad with 3 Like Home.
- Three was the first to launch mobile broadband in Ireland and is now the mobile broadband leader.
- In December 2008, Three won the Government contract to roll-out broadband to the remaining 10% of the country. The scheme was completed on time and to budget in December 2010.
- Three has 99.5% population coverage for voice and text and 97% for mobile broadband.
- Three has opened over 50 "3Stores" in Ireland.
- In Aug 2010, we became the proud sponsors of the Irish national football team with a 10 million euros agreement over four years.
*based on the geographical coverage of Three's HSPA+ network in the Republic of Ireland.
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