The Czech telecoms regulator is set to launch its much-anticipated 4G spectrum tender process by mid- November.
The regulator, CTU, today invited potential bidders to submit their applications to participate by 30 September. CTU expects to grant…
The Czech telecoms regulator is set to launch its much-anticipated 4G spectrum tender process by mid- November.
The regulator, CTU, today invited potential bidders to submit their applications to participate by 30 September. CTU expects to grant successful bidders permission to use their frequencies in early 2014, once they have paid.
Despite local mobile operators’ protests, the regulator has set aside some spectrum in the 800 MHz band for a new market entrant in an effort to boost competition.
The local units of Telefonica, Deutsche Telekom and Vodafone all strongly criticised the previously-published proposed auction conditions, claiming they afforded the new entrant special treatment.
Yesterday, a spokesperson for Deutsche Telekom’s T-Mobile CR said the company considers “any potential reservation of lucrative frequencies as preferential treatment…, which has the characteristics of state aid”.
Similarly, a spokesperson for Telefonica’s O2 CR said yesterday that, if proposed terms were confirmed, the company “will consider all possible ways of defending our rights even by filing a complaint for illegal state support to the European Commission”.
Today, spokespeople for Telefonica CR, T-Mobile CR and Vodafone CR all said they will have to carefully assess the auction conditions before deciding on their next steps.
The mobile unit of PPF investment group, owned by Czech businessman Petr Kellner, participated in the country’s cancelled auction process earlier this year and is expected to take part again. Another privately-owned local operator, Dial Telecom, has also reportedly expressed interest in taking part.
CTU called off the original auction in March saying that bids were so high they would have had negative effects on the industry and consumers. Total bids for that auction topped Kc20bn (US$1bn). Earlier this year, CTU said it expected bids in the new auction to total less than Kc10bn (US$500m).
