Slovakia has made room for a fourth nationwide mobile operator in its recent 4G auction, which raised €163.9m (US$223m) for the state.
The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of the Slovak Republic (TUSR) announced that the three incumbents –…
Slovakia has made room for a fourth nationwide mobile operator in its recent 4G auction, which raised €163.9m (US$223m) for the state.
The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of the Slovak Republic (TUSR) announced that the three incumbents – Orange Slovakia, Slovak Telekom and Telefonica Slovkia – won spectrum in the auction, along with Swan.
Swan, a locally-based telco, agreed to pay €6.6m (US$8.98m) for 2×15 MHz in the 1,800 MHz band. Orange will pay €56.14m (US$76.34m) for 2×10 MHz in the 800 MHz, 2×4.8 MHz in the 1,800 MHz and 2×30 MHz in the 2,600 MHz bands. Slovak Telekom will pay €60.85m (US$82.81m) for 2×10 MHz in the 800 MHz, 2×40 MHz in the 2,600 MHz FDD and 50 MHz in the 2,600 MHz TDD bands. Telefonica will pay €40.3m (US$54.85m) for 2×10 MHz in the 800 MHz and 2×0.6 MHz in the 1,800 MHz bands.
The regulator’s acting president Ladislav Mikus said his team was “delighted with the confidence of investors” and “pleasantly surprised” by the entry of a fourth operator. He said he expects operators to meet network deployment targets ahead of deadlines, noting that they have already begun building them.
The regulator first published a call for tenders for the frequencies in August 2013.
Based in Bratislava, Swan provides fixed and mobile telephony, internet and TV services.
