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5G auctions

May 2022 – As the process of 5G coverage expansion continues, we bring you a short status update on 5G auctions and 5G rollout in the Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia regions.

Kazakhstan

  • Frequency already allocated: 3.5 GHz.
  • Announced / expected 5G auctions: Three lots each for 100 MHz around 3.5 GHz will be sold at auctions that are planned for the end of May 2022. One lot per city—Almaty, Nur-Sultan and Shymkent—will be offered.
  • Stage of 5G auctions and auction method: The relevant law and regulations for holding auctions have been adopted. Auctions will be held in two stages. At the first stage the bidders' compliance with qualification requirements will be checked. At the second stage the price increase auction will be held.
  • Launch by operators: To date, no operator has launched 5G. 5G was tested in certain areas in the cities of Almaty, Nur-Sultan and Shymkent and may be tested in the city of Turkestan.

Romania

  • The “Mini-5G tender” organised by Romania’s National Authority for Management and Regulation in Communications (“ANCOM”), as a competitive selection procedure, was finalised and was split by two winning participants which acquired (Source):
    • 1 (one) pair block of 2x5 MHz auctioned in the 800 MHz frequency band;
    • 4 (four) pair blocks of 2x5 MHz in the 2600 MHz FDD frequency band;
    • 1 (one) unpaired block of 15 MHz in the 2600 MHz TDD band, for the period between 1 January 2022 and 5 April 2029; for a total of EUR 42 million for the period between 1 January 2022 and 5 April 2029, and
    • 1 (one) unpaired block of 5 MHz in the 3400-3600 MHz frequency band for a total of EUR 700,000 for the period between 1 January 2022 and 31 December 2025.
  • The long-awaited 5G tender involving frequencies in the 700MHz, 1500MHz and 3400MHz - 3800MHz is scheduled to Q3 of 2022 (Source).
  • ANCOM has published on its website its action plan for 2022, which includes the auction of 5G frequencies in the 700MHz, 1500MHz and 3400MHz - 3800MHz bands during Q3; however the exact date has not been established.

Serbia

  • No frequencies suitable for 5G have to date been allocated in Serbia.
  • The first 5G auctions, which were expected to take place in 2020 and 2021, have been postponed several times, the main reason being the Covid-19 pandemic.
  • The regulatory framework for the auctions has been created, and network operators have already been allowed to test their 5G equipment.
  • 5G auctions have yet to be announced for the following frequencies: 2500–2690 MHz; 3.4-3.8 GHz; 694-790 MHz.
  • According to representatives of the Serbian Regulatory Agency for Electronic Communications and Postal Services ( “RATEL”), an auction for allocating frequencies for 5G networks to mobile network operators could be expected in the second half of 2022.

Turkey

  • 5G auctions have yet to be announced.
  • No frequency is allocated. In addition, feasible frequencies are currently being tested.
  • The regulatory body has granted permission for 5G testing to the 4G operators, Turkcell, Vodafone, and Turk Telekom Mobile, in several cities in Turkey.



For more information, please contact our firm-wide Co-Heads of Telecommunications, Anastasiya Bolkhovitinova, Counsel, at , or Radoslav Chemshirov, Of Counsel, at .

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