Lithuania-based Bite Group is seeing progress towards its entry into Estonia's telecoms market, with the country's regulator mulling its participation in its upcoming 5G airwaves auction. A move that could see it replace Telia, Elisa or Tele2.
The operator has previously said it will enter Estonia if it was allowed to bid for airwaves in the 3.5GHz band, as it plans to roll out full telecoms services in the country.
Currently, Bite provides television services and will aim to roll out consumer fixed, mobile internet and other services if it is successful at auction.
Estonia’s regulator the Consumer Protection and Technical Surveillance Authority (TTJA) revealed it received four applications for three licenses in its upcoming 3.5GHz spectrum auction, counting Telia, Elisa and Tele2 as returnees alongside newcomer Bite. The starting price for the licenses is €1.6 million.
Minister of Enterprise and Information Technology Andres Sutt hailed there being four participants now taking part in the upcoming airwaves auction and one being a “newcomer”, giving confidence that 5G services will land in the market “as soon as possible”, he said in a translated statement.
Sutt also noted with the increase in players, consumers will see benefits such as higher quality services and competitive pricing. The regulator predicted spectrum licenses will be issued by June this year to enable operators to begin building 5G networks.
