Elisa won the auction for the first 5G frequency licence

The auction for the first frequency licence started on 3 May. The auction took place in 57 rounds. The winner of the auction was Elisa’s bid in the amount of 7,206,208 euros. The Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority (CPTRA) will issue the frequency licence to Elisa once the results of the competition have been confirmed and the licence fee and state fee have been paid. After issuing the frequency licence, Elisa can start building the 5G network.

According to Andres Sutt, Minister of Entrepreneurship and Information Technology, the closing price that is several times higher than the starting price indicates strong competition in the Estonian 5G market, which accelerates the delivery of 5G to customers. According to the representative of Elisa, they wanted to acquire precisely the frequency put up for auction first. This is the most valuable in the company’s view as it is not subject to stricter restrictions due to the proximity of Russia’s border areas, which means that it is the best and purest frequency in terms of technological characteristics.

Two more 5G frequency licences will be auctioned. Elisa as the winner of the first auction cannot participate in the auctions for the next frequency licences. Telia, Tele2 and the Lithuanian operator Bite will continue competing for the next two frequency licences. Elisa plans to open the first part of its 5G network in the near future.

According to Telia’s Head of Technology Andre Visse, the first 5G frequency licence went to the operator who considered this frequency the most important. Telia opened its 5G network on existing frequencies a year and a half ago already, which is why Telia did not necessarily have to acquire the frequency licence put up for auction first. According to Visse, Telia is ready for the next rounds of the auction.