Mobilicity intends to take part in Canada’s AWS-3 spectrum auction planned for 3 March, but as expected will stay out of the 2.5 GHz auction scheduled for April.
The company appears in the list of 10 AWS-3 applicants on the Canadian government’s auction web site under its former name, Data & Audio-Visual Enterprises Wireless Inc., after securing the C$62 million refundable deposit it needed to pay by 30 January from debtholders.
Although it is not included in the list of 11 applicants for the 2.5 GHz auction on 14 April, the AWS-3 auction of spectrum licences for advanced wireless services in the bands 1755-1780 MHz and 2155-2180 MHz (AWS-3) is regarded as the more enticing.
Mobilicity had previously engaged with several parties with a view to brokering an acquisition or funding deal.
As it stands, the telco is operating under court protection from its creditors. That protection expired on 30 January, and the company successfully obtained a further extension to 8 May 2015, according to a filing by court-appointed monitor Ernst & Young. The company has obtained a number of extensions since it applied for court protection in September 2013.
As well as Mobilicity, other AWS-3 applicants include Bell Mobility, Bragg Communications, MTS, Rogers, Saskatchewan Telecommunications, TBayTel, Telus, Videotron and Wind Mobile.
Applicants for the auction of spectrum licences f or broadband radio service (BRS) in the 2500-2690 MHz band are: Bell Mobility, Bragg Communications, Corridor Communications, MTS, Rogers, TBayTel, Telus, Videotron, Wind Mobile and Xplornet.
The U.S. recently completed its AWS-3 spectrum auction, raising a record US$44.9 billion.
