Myanmar’s communications ministry is likely to delay the 2.6GHz spectrum auction scheduled for this month as it now considers finalising the country’s spectrum roadmap before moving ahead with the sale.

The Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) is weighing commentary from industry sources calling for the regulatory framework to be completed before the auction is held in late March, the Myanmar Times reported.

“We didn’t expect such a range of contrasting views on the process,” said Posts and Telecommunications director U Than Htun Aung, noting that the auction may not be completed by the end of March.

Both Telenor and Ooredoo have said the auction should come only after the regulatory roadmap is in place.

The ministry in early February called for 140MHz of 2.6GHz spectrum to be sold on 24 March, with the final auction framework to be released on 22 February. Ooredoo Myanmar CEO Rene Meza said it is still waiting for the auction guidelines.

Meza noted that to conduct “a hasty, insufficiently planned auction is truly putting the cart before the horse”.