By Deborah Taylor
Poland’s four mobile network operators, including Play (P4), Polkomtel (Plus), Orange Polska, and T-Mobile Polska, have submitted their initial bids for 5G spectrum licenses. The Office of Electronic Communications (UKE), the Polish telecoms regulator, has announced that it has received opening bids from all four operators.
Poland has been one of the few countries in the European Union that has not yet made spectrum in the highly sought-after 3.5GHz band available to operators. Plans to auction this spectrum band were originally announced in 2020 but were delayed due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Additional delays were caused by uncertainties surrounding the Polish government’s amendments to the Act on the National Cybersecurity System, which could impact the operators’ choice of 5G vendors.
Despite ongoing discussions about these amendments, the UKE has decided to move forward with the auction process to ensure Poland does not fall behind its neighboring countries in terms of 5G capabilities. The regulator conducted two public consultations in December 2022 and April 2023, resulting in an increase in the amount of spectrum available for each license from 80MHz to 100MHz. The reserve price per block remains unchanged at PLN450 million (approximately US$108 million).
The auction is now underway and is expected to conclude within the next few weeks. This development will enable Poland’s mobile operators to deploy 5G networks and provide enhanced services to their customers.
