CRT Revamps the Industrial 5G Auction

The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (CRT) has revised the structure of its first spectrum auction for industrial networks by increasing the amount of available frequencies to 50%, doubling the size of the blocks, expanding the number of industrial regions, and eliminating the territorial limit originally established for projects within industrial parks.

The final version of Tender CRT-RRI-01-2026 increased the available spectrum in the 2.3 GHz band from 40 to 60 MHz and expanded the size of each block from 10 to 20 MHz.

The authority justified the changes by citing the need to support resource-intensive applications in areas such as public safety, healthcare, and smart transportation.

The adjustments go beyond the amount of spectrum, as the CRT subdivided the four largest industrial regions, thereby increasing the number of regions that will be part of the process from 60 to 72.

The CRT reported that greater segmentation will help lower the costs associated with larger regions, reduce economic barriers to entry, and encourage participation by a larger number of stakeholders. One of the territorial restrictions originally envisaged has also been removed.

The version to be submitted for public comment will set a maximum of 200 km² for projects requesting spectrum based on polygons.

The bidding process will introduce a new method for allocating 2.3 GHz spectrum to specialized networks, after the public consultation led the CRT to modify key aspects of the original proposal—from the number of frequencies and the size of the blocks to the territorial configuration and the conditions for participation.