Regulator launches tender for two new mobile licences

Hungary’s telecoms regulator, the National Communications Authority (NHH), today launched two 15-year mobile licence tenders and separately, a third proposal designed to provide further mobile infrastructure development in the country, Dow Jones reports citing the watchdog’s president Daniel Pataki as saying. The government and the NHH have made this decision to boost mobile market competition,’ Pataki said at a press conference. Although mobile penetration in the country is currently running at around 108% (TeleGeography: 30 June 2008), Pataki notes that around 20% of the population still do not own a mobile phone, and that price competition between the three incumbents – T-Mobile, Pannon and Vodafone – has stagnated since 2006. The NHH president said the three firms would be excluded from bidding for the new licences. ‘We have called the tender now as market conditions could turn even more unfavorable, since nobody can tell when this global financial market turmoil could end,’ Pataki added.