News
Mobile operators acquire frequencies between 3.4 GHz and 3.8 GHz.
Hungary’s telecoms watchdog on Tuesday announced the results of its recently-concluded spectrum sale, in which Vodafone emerged as the biggest spender.
Vodafone and market newcomer Digi were the only two qualified bidders for the available airwaves in the 3.4 GHz-3.8 GHz band. Together they spent 896.6 million forints (€2.9 million) on the frequencies, according to the National Media and Infocommunications Authority of Hungary, known locally as NMHH.
Vodafone accounted for 72% of the spend, racking up a bill of HUF648.6 million for 60 MHz of spectrum between 3.4 GHz and 3.6 GHz.
Digi’s HUF248 million spend secured it 20 MHz of spectrum at 3.6 GHz-3.4 GHz.
The frequencies in question will be licensed to the telcos until 2034, the NMHH said.
Cable TV company Digi is still in the process of building out its mobile network in Hungary. The NMHH quoted the firm’s managing director Ryszka Sambor as saying that the newly-acquired frequencies would help with the build, enabling Digi to provide a better quality and higher capacity infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Vodafone Hungary’s Pál Marchhart said the spectrum would help his company prepare for the growing demand for high-speed mobile services.
He added that as a result of the sale, Vodafone now has the most spectrum of all of Hungary’s mobile operators, a comment borne out by a chart (below) provided by the NMHH.
