Peruvian officials released draft regulations covering spectrum refarming, a move ultimately intended to boost penetration and use of telecom services in the country while also increasing competition.

The country’s Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC) said reorganising frequencies is a necessary step to improve the efficiency of current spectrum allocations. Refarming will help deliver improvements to the value of spectrum and, in doing so, benefit end-users: “It is the central axis of any real spectrum policy,” the ministry said in a statement.

Feedback is now being sought on the proposals from companies and citizens in a consultation running to end-August.

Key elements include increasing the coverage requirements contained in licence terms if the refarming process results in a higher valuation of particular frequencies. These obligations would target areas “lacking in service or with little coverage” MTC said.

The ministry added any reorganisation would also aim to ease deployment of improved and up-to-date internet access technologies, in line with UN goals to establish such access as a basic human right.

MTC said its draft regulation forms part of a “healthy transparency policy” and establishes “objective criteria and predictable methodology”. The proposals encourage “the assignment or reordering of frequencies to encourage competition and the greatest social and economic benefit”.

Peru is home to four mobile operators: Viettel brand Bitel; America Movil’s Claro; Entel; and Telefonica’s Movistar. GSMA Intelligence estimated the country had a total of 39.5 million connections at end-Q2, with penetration standing at 71.5 per cent.