The Dutch government has confirmed that it has reserved 5G frequencies for a local private 5G network.
Dutch telecommunications operators KPN, Odido and VodafoneZiggo have secured new 5G frequencies in a spectrum auction, Minister of Economy and Climate Micky Adriaensens announced in a letter to Parliament.
According to the government, KPN, Odido and VodafoneZiggo can start using the new frequencies in the 3.5GHz band from July 2024.
The Dutch government also confirmed that a total of 174.4 million euros ($187.6 million) had been raised in the 5G auction. The 5G permits are valid for up to 17 years, until December 31, 2040.
The tender stipulates that each participant can acquire up to 40% of the available frequencies. The government also noted that each permit also comes with operational obligations.
Minister Mickey Adriaenssens said: “Businesses and consumers have been waiting for this moment for a long time, while data demands are growing rapidly and neighbouring countries are already taking action. The completion of the auction by the National Digital Infrastructure Inspectorate marks a milestone in ensuring we can handle all our digitised business processes, services and products.”
“5G allows us to transmit data faster and more reliably. This will not only help healthcare innovations but also, for example, digitalise manufacturing and logistics processes. The auction results will ensure full competition in the telecommunications market until 2040, which is crucial for price, supply and innovation,” the minister added.
The Dutch government also confirmed that 2 x 50 MHz of the total 400 MHz available in the 3.5 GHz band have been reserved for private 5G networks. This spectrum will not be allocated in the current auction, and companies can apply directly for permits for these frequencies, the government said.
In 2020, Dutch operators VodafoneZiggo, T-Mobile and KPN secured spectrum allocations in the first 5G auction held in the Netherlands.
At the time, the country’s three main mobile operators spent €1.23 billion to acquire a total of 26 licences for various spectrum bands in the 700MHz, 1,400MHz and 2.1GHz bands.
As part of the auction terms, operators accepted several conditions, including coverage of 98% of each municipality and minimum speed requirements for businesses and consumers.
