Greece’s telecoms regulator EETT has said local operators paid a total of €381m (US$482m) for spectrum licences in the auction of 800 MHz and 2.6 GHz frequencies. Incumbent Cosmote, British-backed Vodafone Greece and Wind Hellas acquired all the…
Greece’s telecoms regulator EETT has said local operators paid a total of €381m (US$482m) for spectrum licences in the auction of 800 MHz and 2.6 GHz frequencies.
Incumbent Cosmote, British-backed Vodafone Greece and Wind Hellas acquired all the available 15-year licences.
Cosmote spent €135m on two paired blocks in the 800 MHz band, six paired blocks in the 2.6 GHz band, and a further two single blocks in the 2.6 GHz.
Vodafone bought the same spread of licences for €124.5m. Meanwhile, Wind purchased two paired blocks of 800 MHz spectrum and four paired blocks in the 2.6 GHz band for €122m.
EETT started on working on the digital dividend auction back in May 2013 following a renewed bailout plan with the European Union and International Monetary Fund, which prescribed a switchover from analogue to digital TV to free up airwaves.
The recession-hit country’s telecoms market is moving closer toward consolidation, which local analysts say the sector dearly needs. At the moment, M&A activity appears to be focused on triple-play operator Forthnet, but there could be movement in the mobile sector in the coming years.
Vodafone and Wind held talks about a merger in 2012, but Vodafone pulled out of the process. However, analysts believe a deal may still happen in the future as the companies have become closer since 2012.
