Vodafone and O2 could lose out at the auctions if disputes aren't settled.
The UK government and regulator Ofcom could prevent Vodafone and O2 from buying more spectrum for mobile broadband and other services without selling some of their existing allocation first.
The caps, outlined today by government spectrum broker Kip Meek, are being considered because the two operators in question are seen as obstructing plans to release so-called Digital Britain spectrum.
In short, O2 and Vodafone are upset that Ofcom wants to use the 900MHz spectrum they currently own as part of those plans.
Ofcom is due to auction the coveted 800MHz spectrum - which will be used for mobile TV etc - next year, and this is what O2 and Vodafone could potentially miss out on.
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