Four companies will take part in Argentina's 4G spectrum licensing contest later this year, the government has revealed.

Three major mobile operators - Telefonica's Movistar, Telecom Argentina unit Personal and America Movil-owned Claro - and broadband provider Arlink submitted applications to take part in the process, the Secretaria de Comunicaciones (Secom) announced last week.

"We have taken the next step in the allocation of 4G spectrum," communications secretary Norberto Berner said, in a statement.

A prequalification commission will now analyse the bids.

According to local media reports, that process will take until the end of October. The winners will be announced in mid-November.

Mobile operator Nextel was not on the list of bidders, Argentina's Infobae pointed out. Neither was media company Grupo Clarin.

A spokesperson for Nextel, whose parent company NII Holdings filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection last week, told the Argentine publication, that it could not commit to the required investment at the present time.

Argentina is selling spectrum in the 700-MHz band and the 1700-2100-MHz advanced wireless services (AWS) band for 4G services. It also plans auction outstanding 3G spectrum in the 1900-MHz and 850-MHz band. When it published its 4G auction conditions in May it decreed that successful bidders will be required to cover 98% of the population within five years.