Belgian raises 1.42 bln euros from 5G mobile licence auction

Orange Belgium NV

21/07/2022 09:58

BRUSSELS, July 21 (Reuters) - Belgium has raised 1.42
billion euros ($1.44 billion) from its auction of new 5G mobile
phone licences, with a fourth operator set to enter the consumer
market, telecoms regulator BIPT said late on Wednesday.
    BIPT concluded the second and final phase of the auction, of
the 1,400 megahertz frequency band, yielding 216.5 million
euros. That was far above the reserve price and added to 1.202
billion euros previously raised.
    Existing operators Orange Belgium  OBEL.BR , Proximus
 PROX.BR  and Telenet  TNET.BR  bid for this final band.
    Citymesh Mobile, which has successfully bid for other bands,
is set to partner with Romanian provider DIGI  DIGI.BX  to
increase competition. DIGI already operates in Romania, Italy
and Spain, with a service also launching in Portugal.
    Another company, Network Research Belgium, has secured a
small-scale 5G licence in the auction and intends to use it for
offering services to businesses and public entities, such as
hospitals.
    ($1 = 0.9829 euros)

 (Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop; Editing by Bradley Perrett)
 ((philip.blenkinsop@thomsonreuters.com; +32 2 585 2869:
@reutersPhilB;))