NRA extends 5G auction application deadline

Lithuanian telecoms watchdog the Communications Regulatory Authority (Rysiu Reguliavimo Tarnyba, RRT) has pushed back the deadline for interested parties to submit documents for the upcoming 5G spectrum auction by two months. Operators looking to participate in the process were originally given until 25 January 2022 to submit auction documents to the RRT but this has now been extended to 25 March, in order to give participants more time to gather information on the hardware, software and equipment to be used to support service providers, as well as the equipment’s manufacturers and suppliers. The RRT will then evaluate the submitted applications by 8 April.

The upcoming auction comprises the sale of one 2×10MHz block (713MHz-723MHz/768MHz-778MHz) and two lots of 2×5MHz (723MHz-728MHz/778MHz-783MHz and 728MHz-733MHz/783MHz-788MHz), with initial prices set at EUR5 million and EUR3 million (USD5.8 million and USD3.5 million), respectively. Participants will be restricted to bidding on one spectrum block during the auction and the concessions are valid for 20 years. Winning bidders are subject to certain rollout and service provision obligations, including a requirement to launch commercial 5G services in at least one of the country’s five largest cities (Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipeda, Siauliai and Panevezys) within six months and to all five by 31 December 2023.