5G bands to be sold by Dec 21
The tender for the radio frequency zones for fifth-generation (5G) mobile technologies in Greece will be completed by December 21, concerning the 700-megahertz, the 2-gigahertz, the 3,400-3,800 MHz and the 26 GHz bands, according to an announcement published yesterday by the National Commission for Telecommunications and Post.
The starting price for the entire set of frequencies is set at 367.3 million euros, which may increase if the bidders compete against one another.
In any case a quarter of that amount will end up at Faistos, the mutual fund of corporate holdings aimed at financing investments in enterprises active in the research and development of 5G applications and services.
The fees are payable either in a lump sum or with 30% paid up front and the rest in nine annual installments, with the first tranche due by January 10, 2024.
The question is when the 5G services will hit the market. With Forthnet yet to reveal its intentions on the matter, it seems certain that the three cellphone service providers – Cosmote, Vodafone and Wind – will offer the first commercial 5G programs over the first quarter of 2021.
