Last Friday, Hungarian regulator the National Media and Infocommunications Authority (NMHH) published its draft tender on a plan to auction off spectrum licences to offer wireless broadband services in the country, as part of moves to increase competition in the domestic market. Under the plan, the NMHH is looking to sell off unallocated parts of the 800MHz, 900MHz, 1000MHz and 2600MHz spectrum, as well as an unused portion of the 26MHz frequency band. In a statement the NMHH said that the auction may be helpful in driving up competition and accelerating the development of mobile/wireless broadband coverage in Hungary.
Potential bidders are requested to submit proposals and suggestions on the draft by 20 December 2013 for the tender, which is expected to raise between HUF120 billion and HUF150 billion (USD544.4 million and USD680.4 million) for state coffers. Ahead of this announcement, in September this year the government extended the mobile frequency licences of the country’s three incumbents – Telenor Hungary, Vodafone Hungary and Magyar Telekom-backed T-Mobile Hungary – until April 2022. That extension will generate total revenue of HUF100 billion for the state budget by 2022.