Austria nets more than €200M in latest 5G sale
by Yanitsa BoyadzhievaAustria finalised its second 5G spectrum auction, bringing in proceeds of almost €202 million for the 700MHz, 1500MHz and 2100MHz bands.
The Austrian Regulatory Authority for Broadcasting and Telecommunications (RTR) said Magenta Telekom spent nearly €87 million for 90MHz, A1 Telekom Austria secured 80MHz for more than €65 million and Hutchison Drei Austria receiving 90MHz for almost €50 million.
Under the auction conditions, operators had committed to provide mobile broadband in 802 communities which were poorly supplied or not covered at all, in exchange for price discounts for their bids.
Following the auction, 80 per cent of 2,100 not-spots and poorly covered areas in Austria are set to be supplied with “high-performance mobile broadband coverage” by 2027, managing director of telecommunications at RTR Klaus Steinmaurer explained.
He noted the regulator had designed a “much more liberal” framework than in the past, with clearances for active and passive sharing, alongside the shared use of spectrum. The RTR also aimed to promote cooperation in supplying coverage on transport routes including motorways and railway lines.
The auction was delayed by the Covid-19 (coronavirus) outbreak.