The PTS confirmed the four bidders for the upcoming spectrum auction, will not be able to use Huawei or ZTE in network deployments that use those bands.
Four operators will participate in the auction: On 20 October 2020, the PTS confirmed the applicants for the 5G spectrum auction in the 2.3GHz and 3.5GHz bands, which is due to start on 10 November 2020. Four operators are admitted – Hi3G Access (Three), Net4Mobility (a consortium including Tele2 and Telenor), Telia, and Teracom.
Chinese vendors are excluded from eventual network deployments: In line with a law that came into force on 1 January 2020, operators have had to submit their roll-out plans for preliminary assessment to the Armed Forces and the Security Police. Based on those assessments, the PTS has included conditions in the licences that require operators to exclude equipment from Huawei and ZTE from ‘central functions’ (including core and access network functions), in those frequency bands. If existing infrastructure is used to provide services in those bands, operators must phase out Huawei and ZTE by 1 January 2025.
Licences will last 25 years: In both bands, the PTS will award licences valid until the end of 2045. In the 3.5GHz band, 15 lots of 20MHz each are available; in the 2.3GHz band, eight lots of 10MHz are up for grabs.
