Dutch government has kicked off auction of bandwidth for 5G networks on Monday with a 900 million euro ($1 billion) floor.
Mobile network operators such as KPN, Vodafone and T-Mobile are participating during the 5G spectrum auction.

The Dutch government is selling bandwidth in the 700, 1400 and 2100MHz airwave ranges.

Competitors will submit bids in a series of daily rounds determined by the auctioneer. The auction must be finished by Aug. 1, but an earlier outcome is likely. No company can take more than 40 percent of the available bandwidth in each range.

The Dutch roll-out of 5G has lagged behind other European countries, though Vodafone said in April it had begun offering 5G services over its existing 4G network.

The auction in the Netherlands of the 3.5GHz range most commonly associated with 5G has been delayed as the Dutch government moves a ground satellite system that would interfere with it to a new location. The auction of that spectrum is expected in early 2022.