YOU ARE AT:5GAll bidders finish first in finished Finnish 5G spectrum auction

All bidders finish first in finished Finnish 5G spectrum auction

The Finnish 5G spectrum auction included three 800 megahertz blocks in the 25.1-27.5 GHz range

The second Finnish 5G spectrum auction was completed today, with the only bidders being operators Telia, Elisa and Telenor-owned DNA. They all walked away as winners.

Today’s auction included three 800 megahertz blocks in the 25.1-27.5 GHz range, and all three were sold at a starting price of $7.9 million each. The new licenses will be valid until the end of 2033.

According to the Ministry of Transport and Communications, Elisa won the 25.1-25.9 GHz frequencies, Telia won the 25.9-26.7 GHz and DNA won the 26.7-27.5 GHz.

DNA said its newly acquired spectrum in the 26 GHz frequency band will allow for the transfer of larger data amounts than before, making it particularly suitable for high-speed connections in densely populated areas.

Finland granted the first round of 5G licenses in 2018. Following the auction, Telia launched next-generation services in January 2019 in the Finnish cities of Helsinki, Oulu and Vantaa, and Elisa has since expanded its 5G network to 19 locations in the country as of this past April.

After launching its Home 5G service in December 2019, DNA began selling 5G subscriptions to private and corporate customers in January.

In a statement, the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency said the 5G network has been made available in 30 of Finland’s cities over the past 18 months. While unclear when it will be finished, construction on the new 5G network will begin on July 1.

ABOUT AUTHOR

Catherine Sbeglia Nin
Catherine Sbeglia Nin
Catherine is the Managing Editor for RCR Wireless News and Enterprise IoT Insights, where she covers topics such as Wi-Fi, network infrastructure and edge computing. She also hosts Arden Media's podcast Well, technically... After studying English and Film & Media Studies at The University of Rochester, she moved to Madison, WI. Having already lived on both coasts, she thought she’d give the middle a try. So far, she likes it very much.