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.
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.”