Singapore’s Infocomms Development Authority (IDA) issued the final rules for the upcoming 4G spectrum auction and set a 1 September deadline for new entrants to submit applications, with proof they have sufficient funding.

IDA also issued clarifications to queries relating to the 700MHz, 900MHz, 2.3GHz and 2.5GHz auction scheduled for early October.

Consistel, a regional wireless network provider, and ISP MyRepublic both have expressed interest in becoming Singapore’s fourth mobile player.

Consistel reportedly has lined up commitments for as much as $400 million of the nearly $1 billion it aims to raise and expected to secure the remainder last month. MyRepublic claims it has already secured SGD130 million ($94 million) of the SGD250 million in funding it needs to roll out a fourth network. The company has said that as a new entrant, without legacy systems, it would have a big cost advantage over rivals and will need about SGD300 million, less than a third of the conventional infrastructure cost, to build a nationwide 4G network as it can use existing facilities from its internet business.

The IDA has taken a number of steps to ease the path for the entry of a fourth mobile operator to boost competition. In February it released a detailed framework for its previously announced spectrum allocation. The regulator lowered the reserve price for the 60MHz of spectrum that will be set aside for a new operator to SGD35 million ($25 million) from SGD40 million and doubled the allocation of spectrum in the 2.3GHz band to 40MHz. A year ago it proposed setting aside 60MHz out of a total of 225MHz of new spectrum at a lower reserve price in a separate auction to be open only to new entrants.