Industry body calls for 3.5GHz licensing

The Digital Poland Association (Cyfrowa Polska) has written to the government to request that 3.5GHz C-band spectrum be made available for 5G services ‘as soon as possible’. The award of 3.5GHz licences stalled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and has been delayed further while the government updates the Act on the National Cybersecurity System (KSC).

The president of Cyfrowa Polska, Michal Kanownik, said that the allocation of 5G spectrum is ‘necessary and urgent’, particularly given the influx of refugees from Ukraine, which is placing additional strain on Poland’s mobile networks. He added: ‘In the long term, the new generation network will be a factor supporting further GDP growth and increasing the competitiveness of the Polish economy against the background of the European Union countries.’

Poland and the Netherlands are the only two EU countries which have not yet awarded 3.5GHz spectrum licences. Operators in Poland are currently offering 5G services using 2100MHz and 2600MHz spectrum which was originally used for 3G and 4G networks.