Bite to pay EUR200,000 for 1.5GHz spectrum

Following on from the conclusion of the Public Utilities Commission’s (Sabiedrisko Pakalpojumu Regulesanas Komisija, SPRK’s) 1.5GHz spectrum auction earlier this month, Bite Latvia has confirmed that it will pay over EUR200,000 for frequencies in the 1432MHz-1452MHz range. The spectrum is available for a 20-year period from February 2022. ‘Currently, we have obtained the best frequency bands for the operation of the 5G network, which also have the least technical limitations,’ commented CEO Kaspars Buls, adding: ‘The newly acquired frequencies are intended to increase the data download capacity, which is especially important considering the amount of data consumption, which is growing by approximately 80% annually in the Bite network. The increase of the frequency portfolio is an important step in the EUR70 million [USD78 million] investment project implemented by Bite, within the framework of which we plan to build several hundred 5G base stations over the next three years, thus gradually introducing this technology to the Bite network throughout Latvia.’