It's take two for Poland’s 5G spectrum auction, which is now due to relaunch, although there are no firm dates for the rescheduled process yet.
Reuters news agency has reported that the process of allocating 5G spectrum, suspended earlier this month due to the coronavirus, will have to relaunch to avoid the threat of legal challenges. Official comments have explained that the original documentation for the process did not allow the regulator to change the deadline for firms to submit preliminary offers, leaving it open to legal action if it were to continue in its current form.
There have also been changes to the country’s telecommunications law to improve security, which have apparently affected the planned auction, though it is not clear how.
Poland’s government says it will start a new 5G auction process once the government eases restrictions surrounding the outbreak of the virus.
Poland is not alone in putting off 5G auctions. As we have reported, Portugal, Austria, Spain, France and the Czech Republic are just a few of the major markets where 5G spectrum auctions are being delayed. The Polish regulator had originally sought preliminary offers by 23 April, but lockdown measures to deal with the pandemic put the process on hold.
The government this week published a draft bill introducing changes to the telecommunications law along with measures aimed at reducing the impact of the pandemic.
