The German Federal Network Agency (Bundesnetzagentur) has declared the auction for the allocation of 5G frequencies in the 2 GHz and 3.4 to 3.7 GHz ranges closed. As eco Board Member Klaus Landefeld says: “Now it can finally get going. The end of the 5G spectrum auction marks a fundamental milestone on Germany’s path to becoming a networked industry location and society. In order for Germany to become a leading 5G location, however, politicians and the Federal Network Agency must now immediately set the course for an efficient 4G and 5G expansion and remove existing uncertainties and investment barriers for the new technology.”
The Association of the Internet Industry holds to its view that it would have been better not to hold an auction in the first place, and that the awarding of contracts could have been handled, for example, by setting suitable coverage requirements: “Every Euro that the four companies are now paying to the Federal Republic of Germany could have been used directly for the construction of the new 5G networks. The network operators are now down these investment funds. But even with the situation as it now stands, the auction proceeds are well below the 10 to 12 billion anticipated in the German federal government’s coalition agreement, which should have flowed into the country’s broadband funding by means of the special ‘Digital Infrastructure’ fund, and which are needed at this level for broadband expansion,” says Landefeld.
