Romania’s telecoms regulator is working on the renewal of mobile licences in the 3.4 GHz-3.8 GHz bands and last week published a consultation proposing a minimum price of €12.58 million for all the available airwaves.
The Romanian National Authority for Management and Regulation in Communications (ANCOM) plans to allocate 16 5-MHz blocks of paired spectrum in the 3.4 GHz-3.6 GHz band and 36 5-MHz blocks of unpaired spectrum in the 3.6 GHz-3.8 GHz band via what it termed a competitive selection process. The former will carry a €370,000-per-block reserve price and the latter €185,000.
ANCOM did not specify when that contest will take place, but noted that the licences allocated will have a 10-year duration from a start date of 1 January 2016.
At present, Orange, UPC, Vodafone and 2K Telecom hold licences – seven between them – in the 3.4 GHz-3.6 GHz band that permit them to offer fixed wireless access (FWA) and nomadic wireless access (NWA) services on a nationwide basis, the regulator said.
Meanwhile, state-owned broadcaster Radiocom provides WiMAX-based broadband services using spectrum in the 3.6 GHz-3.8 GHz band. It is the only licensee in that band.
All of the existing licences have an end-2015 expiry date.
ANCOM has opened up its proposals for public consultation. Interested parties have until 6 August to respond.
