Lessons from the Sudan Multi-Band Spectrum Auction: An Insider’s Perspective
Sudan’s 2023 multi-band spectrum auction offers important lessons for regulators on reserve pricing, rule design and bidder preparation. Coleago provides an insider’s perspective on what worked, what did not, and how future awards can be improved.
This Insight distils Coleago’s insider perspective on Sudan’s 2023 multi-band spectrum auction, where Coleago advised one of the bidders. While the National Communications Authority (NCA) selected a generally appropriate Simultaneous Multi-Round Ascending (SMRA) format, several shortcomings in the auction’s detailed design introduced risks that other regulators can learn from.
Auction scope and pricing
The auction offered 2 × 5 MHz lots in the 800, 1800 and 2100 MHz bands, subject to a four-lot spectrum cap. All lots carried a uniform reserve price of USD 18 million, significantly above international benchmarks and disconnected from the differing intrinsic values of low-band and mid-band spectrum. Although the high reserve prices risked unsold blocks, strong bidding meant that all spectrum was ultimately awarded.
Compressed timetable
The NCA provided less than a month between publication of the Information Note and the application deadline, and only a short window thereafter for bidders to construct their valuation models and strategy. Such tight timeframes heighten execution risk, as a robust valuation process typically requires six to eight weeks plus internal approvals.
Design flaws in the auction rules
Despite using an SMRA format, the auction’s detailed rules omitted several essential safeguards:
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No activity or eligibility rules, enabling bidders to hide or shift demand strategically
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No initially defined standing highest bidder, risking multiple winners for a single block
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Bids that were not fully binding, with only modest penalties for withdrawal
These issues could have resulted in prolonged or chaotic bidding and potentially inefficient allocations. Following industry feedback, the regulator implemented a standing highest bidder mechanism, which improved the later rounds.
Outcome and lessons
The auction concluded efficiently and all lots were sold, due in large part to bidders behaving as if standard constraints applied. The confidential final allocation suggests that some bidding strategies may have been suboptimal, reinforcing the value of clear rules and adequate preparation time. For regulators, Sudan’s experience highlights the need for realistic timelines, value-aligned reserve prices and careful rule design to avoid inefficiency or auction failure.
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About Coleago
With more than 20 years’ experience advising both operators and regulators, Coleago brings a grounded, operator-centric understanding of spectrum valuation, pricing and award design. This perspective helps ensure that regulatory objectives are met through practical, well-structured spectrum management approaches.
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