Page 19 - bne_Tech_12_2019

Telecom
December 2019 www.intellinews.com I Page 19
Kosovo Telecom faces bankruptcy over debts to tax administration
Hungary's National Media and Infocommunications Authority (NMHH) has upheld its earlier decision to reject the application of Romanian-based telecommunication company Digi to register
for participation in an auction of 5G spectrum, the NMHH said.
The NMHH announced tenders for the sale of 700MHz, 2100MHz, 2600MHz and 3600 MHz frequency bands in the summer. Four companies submitted bids in August and the market regulator unveiled the list of companies eligible for 5G auctions a month later.
These included the three incumbent mobile operators, Magyar Telekom, Telenor and Vodafone, which are in dire need to upgrade their 4G networks due to the rising data usage and other services.
Digi was the fourth applicant but its bid to register was rejected by the market regulator. According to local media reports, the tender document included a section, which excludes candidates for violations of previous antitrust rules in the last 24 months.
Digi was fined HUF90mn (€267,000) for providing misleading information to authorities when it acquired Invitel's retail business in 2018. The Hungarian media reported that this was initiated by sector peer Telenor.
The company is expected to appeal the ruling and plans to seek legal remedy.
Hungary is the second market in which it has started developing its own 5G network. In June, it began rolling out the Digi Mobil 5G Smart network in Romania and broadcast stations are already live in Bucharest and several other cities.
Digi, which is one of the leading pay-TV and broadband providers in Hungary, launched its Digi Mobil service in the country in May this year.
The NMHH planned to announce the winners of the 5G auctions by the end of November. The concession runs for 15 years, which can be expanded by another five-year term.
Ericsson and Azerbaijan’s Azercell sign 3-year 5G MoU
Sweden’s Ericsson and Azerbaijani communications provider Azercell Telecom have signed a three-year 5G memorandum
of understanding (MoU) spanning the joint deployment of 5G projects, trials and instances of use, Ericsson said.
The two companies have already partnered to deliver a test 5G network in central Baku and
a pre-commercial 5G pilot zone in the downtown Fountains Square area of the capital city.
The 2020-22 MoU will include the extension of the pilot zone, including 5G use instances, as well as the introduction of Internet of Things (IoT) technology in the mining industry, agriculture, manufacturing, housing and communal services, Ericsson said.