Finland has concluded its second auction of 5G spectrum – for selling 26 GHz (25.1–27.5 GHz) spectrum — on June 8.
Telia, Elisa and DNA are the winners.
The participants in the auction were Elisa Corporation, Telia Finland and DNA that submitted the winning bids for building 5G networks.
The auction generated EUR 21 million in revenue to the state, the Transport and Communications Agency Traficom said.
Finland had raised 77 million euros in the first 5G spectrum auction conducted in 2018. Finland sold spectrum of 3410-3800 MHz to Telia Finland, Elisa and DNA respectively for bagging operating licenses of 3410-3540 MHz, 3540-3670 MHz and 3670-3800 MHz.
There were three 800 MHz frequency bands in the auction conducted on June 8, 2020.
The winning bids are:
Frequency band 25.1–25.9 GHz
Elisa Corporation
EUR 7 million
Frequency band 25.9–26.7 GHz
Telia Finland
EUR 7 million
Frequency band 26.7–27.5 GHz
DNA
EUR 7 million
Monday’s 5G spectrum auction included three 800 MHz bands in the 25.1-27.5 GHz range for use in mainland Finland, and the starting price for each frequency was 7 million euros.
Finland’s government granted 5G licences in the 3.5 GHz band in 2018 and construction of the new 5G networks started at the beginning of 2019, making the country, home to network equipment maker Nokia, among the first in the world to introduce the technology.
Construction of the new networks can start from July 1 2020, the agency said. “Over the past 18 months, the 5G network has been made available in 30 cities and municipalities in Finland,” the agency said in a statement.
Telia has invested in 5G frequencies in the 26 GHz band. Telia Finland has secured an 800 MHz frequency block on the 26 GHz band.
The new frequencies enable superfast 5G connections with gigabit speeds for both consumer and business customers.
Telia in Finland launched 5G services on October 9, 2019, on the lower 3.5 GHz frequency band. The company has rolled out 5G services in over ten Finnish cities.
Licenses for the 26 GHz band are valid for thirteen years starting from July 1, 2020, and the price for the new frequency blocks is EUR 7 million including the administrative fees for the auction. The payment to Traficom will be made in five installments over a five-year period.
Elisa won 800 MHz of spectrum according its target. The new spectrum is used to expand Elisa’s 5G network.
The fee for the license is EUR 7 million and it will be paid in five annual instalments. The license is valid from 1 July 2020 to 31 December 2033.
Elisa was the first in the world to open 5G network in Tampere in 2018. Commercial network opened at the beginning of 2019. In just over a year Elisa’s 5G network has been built to 25 areas in Finland with coverage of over million people.
Elisa offers 5G phones and routers from different manufacturers, and subs are available in 300 Mbps, 600 Mbps and 1 Gbps speeds. Elisa was the first operator to launch 5G FWA service that enables using 5G as the main home internet connection.
