France aims to start the spectrum auction for selling 5G frequencies in September in order to aid mobile operators to deploy fifth generation mobile network by year-end, junior economy minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher said.
Bouygues Telecom, Free Mobile, Orange and SFR had already submitted tender package for some frequencies in February.
In February, telecoms regulator Arcep said it was hoping to award the 5G licences by June, but after France went into coronavirus lockdown mid-March, Arcep postponed the sale and said a new date would depend on the progression of the health crisis.
“Our objective, and I have communicated it to Arcep, is that the auctions be launched quickly,” Pannier-Runacher told Le Figaro newspaper in an interview. “September is a reasonable objective… for a launch of 5G before the end of the year.”
