Bidders will be competing for two different bands of spectrum, one at the lower-frequency 800MHz and the other at the higher frequency 2.6GHz. MLL Telecom is a UK managed network supplier that already owns some licensed spectrum used to support 5,000 mobile linked devices for a range of clients in the UK. It is funded by two Canadian private equity groups, Arva and Birch Hill. BT, PCCW and MLL are seen by analysts as likely to bid only for higher frequency but much lower valued 2.6GHz bandwidth, which is suitable for supporting a local mobile network using similar technology as Wi-Fi. This would leave the four mobile operators to fight for the expensive 800MHz bandwidth which is ideally suited for 4G mobile use. The lack of any new, large technology group or financial services rival for the highly prized frequencies will be a boost to the four mobile operators, who will only have to compete among themselves. Spectrum in a similar 4G auction in the Netherlands last week cost several times higher than expected but this was in part owing to the regulator's decision to allocate bandwidth to a new entrant.