The National Telecommunications Commission (Conatel) has launched a new tender to award licenses for mobile telephony, internet access, and data transmission in frequency bands intended for the development of mobile broadband and 5G technology. The bidding process, called Tender No. 01/2026 Mobile Broadband, was approved by Board Resolution No. 1309/2026 and provides for the allocation of radio spectrum in the 2,300 MHz and 3,500 MHz bands, considered strategic for the expansion of high-speed mobile services.
The call comes as the previous spectrum award to Nubicom Paraguay S.A., an Argentine company linked to Grupo Vázquez — whose partners were business associates of President Santiago Peña — remains under special oversight by the Comptroller General's Office. The oversight body is analyzing the company's compliance with the obligations it assumed for network deployment.
The licenses will be awarded through a simultaneous ascending auction, which will determine the final award price. The lots have base prices ranging from US$1 million to US$1.6 million. Lot 1 comprises two sub-bands in the 2,300 MHz frequency (from 2,300 to 2,350 MHz and from 2,350 to 2,400 MHz), while Lot 2 covers the 3,700 to 3,750 MHz and 3,750 to 3,800 MHz sub-bands within the 3,500 MHz range. There is also the possibility of enabling a Lot 3, with two contiguous sub-bands in the same 3,500 MHz range, depending on the conditions of the bidding process.
The awarded frequencies must be used for the provision of cellular mobile telephony, internet access, and data transmission services, in addition to meeting all regulatory obligations set forth in current regulations. The General Terms and Conditions document can be downloaded free of charge from Conatel's website or purchased in printed format for G. 5 million.
Interested parties must submit their proposals on July 10, 2026, between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m., at the institution's headquarters in the Ayfra building in Asunción. Inquiries may be made until June 25, and official clarifications will be issued by June 15.
The new call comes just months after the controversial frequency tender for 5G services in the 3,300 to 3,500 MHz band, a process in which Nubicom Paraguay S.A. emerged as the winner. The award raised questions from various sectors regarding the firm's experience and the conditions under which it obtained the spectrum.
In a preliminary report, the Comptroller General's Office warned that it found no evidence that Conatel has a detailed, measurable, and up-to-date monitoring mechanism to verify Nubicom's compliance with its commitments regarding infrastructure deployment and the effective provision of service. In contrast, AMX Paraguay (Claro), which obtained the frequencies between 3,500 and 3,700 MHz in the same tender, is already deploying infrastructure and base stations for the implementation of its fifth-generation services, according to the background cited in the oversight proceedings.