MANAMA (WiMAX Day). The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) in Bahrain has announced that nine companies have submitted bids for national fixed 3.5 GHz wireless spectrum. The TRA is set to auction two national licenses of 90Mhz. The sealed bids will be opened next week and the licenses will be awarded to the two highest bidders. Among the nine companies that have qualified as bidders include: MTC-Vodafone, the leading GSM network in Bahrain; ATCO Clearwire Telecom Limited, a consortium that includes Qatar Telecom and the state of Qatar; Bahrain Telecommunications Company BSC, which includes Cable & Wireless; and Mena Telecom backed by Kuwait Finance House. ATCO Clearwire Telecom Limited is a Cayman Islands company owned by Clearwire International LLC and A.A. Turki Group, itself owned by Sheikh Abdulrahman Ali Al-Turki of Saudi Arabia. ATCO Clearwire has been pursuing fixed wireless licenses for WiMAX in the Middle East and Gulf over the last year, with applications also made in Cyprus, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.