As operators for billions of cake divided at auction LTE – Wyborcza.biz

- It is very effective allocation of frequencies. I think that the auction ended with a very good result market, is that after all it was – she said at Monday’s conference, head of the Office of Electronic Communications. She also stressed that they do not yet know the timetable for allocation of spectrum, because it depends on the actions of operators in administrative proceedings.

– We would like to have been issued as quickly as possible, but it is rather a matter of months rather than weeks. This may be later this year, but also in the future – she added. Already on Monday held the first meeting with the operators participating in the auction of LTE. This must be the beginning of the process of allocating specific frequencies.

Auction long and expensive

Auction frequencies of LTE was the most expensive, because nobody in Europe had offered an average so much (1,48-2,05 zł billion) for the block of the 800 MHz band. The total amount of bids operators amounted to 9.2 billion zł. It was attended by Orange Poland, Polkomtel, T-Mobile Poland, Play, Emitel, and NetNet. Auction concerned the frequency of the 800 MHz band allows to increase the range of high speed internet access LTE cheaper (with fewer masts) than for higher frequency ranges (1800, 2100 MHz).

Before starting a new auction Magdalena Gaj, the head of UKE , predicted that the auction will start at the end of January and will end within a month. In mid-October, telecom operators submitted their final offer, according to the revised Regulation minister of administration and digitization. It assumed – in the event of failure to complete the 115 days of the auction – to hold a final betting round is 116. The date of the auction (October 15). According to the President of UKE change would affect positively on the rules because “they do not affect in any way the freedom of shaping the operators of the purchase price frequencies, without prejudice to the auction, while the gap in the provisions related to the duration.”

last offer unlimited

In contrast to previous rounds of bidding, in accordance with the amendment, the last not assumed financial limit, so the last day of the budget auction increased by more than 1 billion zł. Previously, operators can raise their bids by 1 to 5 percent.

Against such a solution protested PiS politicians and experts of the telecommunications market, who accused the new rules change the rules of conduct during and violation of the rights of operators. Alternative proposals presented, among others, the auction ends a team of experts Council. Digitization at the MAC under the direction b. UKE Anna Stróżyński. However, the minister of administration and digitization Andrzej Halicki decided not to use them because “too deeply interfere in the auction process.”

It should not, however, be the end of problems auction – perhaps on its course decide to international tribunals. The majority shareholder of P4 (Play network operator) Olympia Poland threatened international arbitration in the event of termination of the auction on the road, which provided for the amendment of the Regulation. In the opinion of Olympia changes in the shape of LTE auction P4 violate the rights arising from bilateral Polish-Greek agreement on protection of investments. Polkomtel also oprotestowywał the Ministry’s decision, calling, among others, to the President and the Speakers of the Sejm and Senate to challenge the decision of the minister.