Bulgaria's main telecoms operators get 5G licences at auction
06/04/2021 11:13
SOFIA, April 6 (Reuters) - Bulgaria's main telecoms
operators won frequencies in the 3.6 GHz spectrum for
next-generation 5G wireless networks at an auction that raised
13.4 million levs ($8.1 million) for the state, the telecoms
regulator said on Tuesday.
After seven binding rounds, three operators - Vivacom, owned
by United Group, Czech PPF's Telenor Bulgaria and A1, part of
Austria's A1 Group - each secured bands.
The regulator held the auction after its initial decision to
allocate the three 20-year 5G licences without competition was
contested by Vivacom.
The auction is important for the commercial deployment of
the 5G network, which allows high-speed data downloads. Vivacom
and A1 have already launched 5G services with temporary
frequencies and Telenor Bulgaria has held 5G trials.
($1 = 1.6554 leva)
(Reporting by Tsvetelia Tsolova; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
((tsvetelia.tsolova@thomsonreuters.com; +359-888-311-435;))