\tSwitzerland\u2019s Federal Communications Commission (ComCom) awarded 5G radio frequencies to all three mobile operators – Swisscom, Sunrise and Salt – raising CHF380 million ($379 million).<\/p>\n
The frequencies will be assigned for 15 years, which the regulator said provides the “operators long-term planning security to develop their networks.”<\/p>\n
ComCom said it set caps to ensure all operators were able to acquire a wide range of 5G frequencies at reasonable prices and the process is \u201cof key importance for the digitalisation of Switzerland\u201d.<\/p>\n
It also said its aim was not to maximise auction revenue, but rather to allocate frequencies efficiently to ensure high quality mobile communications services.<\/p>\n
The money raised in the auction is a far cry from other European countries: Italy raised around $7 billion [1], for which it has faced criticism; while Germany could reportedly raise around $5.6 billion.<\/p>\n
Dense Air, a small cell player which launched in 2018, pulled out of the Swiss auction. Reuters noted this “removes a potential rival for the three companies in the already crowded Swiss mobile market”.<\/p>\n
Operator plans
\nSwisscom, which paid CHF196 million, said by the end of 2019 it expects to roll-out 5G to 60 towns and communities.<\/p>\n
Sunrise and Salt did not have such concrete plans. The former said the frequencies gained will help it to “deliver a world-class<\/a> 5G network in the future” and the latter that it will “improve its high-quality mobile network” with “next-generation speed, latency and capacity”.<\/p>\n[1] https:\/\/www.mobileworldlive.com\/featured-content\/top-three\/italian-regulator-defends-5g-auction\/<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Switzerland’s Federal Communications Commission (ComCom) awarded 5G radio frequencies to all three mobile operators – …<\/p>\n The post Swiss 5G auction nets $380M<\/a> appeared first on Mobile World Live<\/a>.<\/p>\n