Second 5G bandwidth auction passes €4.5-million mark
Bids for the second 5G broadband cellular network license on offer in Estonia have passed the €4.5-million mark.
The 3.6 GHz bandwidth is open to three companies: Telia, Tele2 and UAB Bite, a Lithuanian company. Elisa, having won the auction of the first bandwidth to be held, is not eligible to be in the running for the subsequent auctions.
Aap Adreas Rebas, spokesperson for the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority (TTJA), which is overseeing the bidding, said: "The second auction of the 3.6 GHz 5G frequency license reached the 30th round as of June 28 at a level of €4,500,300. All three bidders can submit bids, and at least one bid must be submitted in each round."
The auction is likely to last some time more, he added.
"Most likely the second round is not over yet. That the competition is fully there. Perhaps the last round will see a little less competition," he added.
Elisa paid €7.2 million for its bandwidth in the first auction, which lasted over 57 rounds and ended on May 27. The asking price raises in €100,000 increments per round.
Once the second auction is completed, the TTJA will start the third and final round, which as noted only two companies will be eligible to bid in.
Elisa claims that the first license, which it won, was the most valuable of the three on offer, on the grounds that it is not subject to stricter restrictions relating to the Russian border.
The company opened up its 5G network on June 16, initially offering Internet packages which can be used with an outdoor router, with the network available to other devices from the fourth quarter of this year.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte