Belgium auctions 5G licences for 1.2 bln euros (updated)

Orange Belgium NV

21/06/2022 07:46

(Adds more detail)
    AMSTERDAM, June 21 (Reuters) - Mobile operators in Belgium
have bid 1.2 billion euros ($1.26 billion) for fifth-generation
(5G) mobile licences, the telecoms regulator said on Tuesday. 
    Proceeds from the auction, which attracted bids from five
operators, were 468.5 million euros higher than the minimum
price, the regulator said.
    The Belgian regulator cleared the five entrants to the
auction in March, after the government said it would encourage a
new entrant on the market to increase competition with the
largest operators Proximus  PROX.BR , Orange Belgium  OBEL.BR 
and Telenet's BASE  TNET.BR .
    The two new entrants in the auction, CityMesh Mobile and
Network Research Belgium, both obtained licences for frequencies
that can be used for 5G applications.
    ($1 = 0.9507 euros)

 (Reporting by Bart Meijer; editing by Jason Neely)
 ((Bart.Meijer@thomsonreuters.com; +31 20 504 5006; Reuters
Messaging: bart.meijer@thomsonreuters.com))