UK telecoms regulator Ofcom has opened a consultation on an auction of spectrum that could be used for mobile broadband services and may take place by late-2015.

It said that while no specific use has been prescribed, the frequencies available in the 2.3GHz and 3.4GHz bands are “likely to interest the mobile industry”. The total proposed reserve price will be between £50 million and £70 million.

In a statement, Ofcom highlighted the fact the 2.3GHz band is being used for 4G networks in 10 countries outside of Europe, including China, India and Australia. Devices from Apple’s iPhone range, Samsung’s Galaxy line, and HTC’s Desire portfolio already support these frequencies.

And the 3.4GHz band is being used for wireless broadband services in six countries, including the UK, Canada and Spain.

Ofcom is planning to auction 190MHz of spectrum across the two bands – equivalent to around three-quarters of the airwaves made available in the 2013 4G auction.

It is proposing to split this into 38 lots of 5MHz, with bidders able to request a minimum bid of four lots per band. It is also mooting a “safeguard cap”, limiting operators’ mobile spectrum holdings to 37 per cent of relevant spectrum.

Due to the frequency bands on offer, the appeal is likely to be in providing capacity boosts in areas of heavy traffic, rather than expanding coverage into remote areas, where lower frequency bands have greater reach.

The spectrum being auctioned is currently in use by the UK Ministry of Defence, and is being made available as part of an initiative to free-up public-sector spectrum for commercial uses.

The consultation closes on 23 January 2015. It aims to carry out the auction late in 2015 or early in 2016.