A total of four Hungarian firms – DIGI Telecommunications, Magyar Telekom, Telenor Hungary and Vodafone Hungary – have submitted applications to bid for additional mobile broadband frequencies ahead of the 16 June 2014 deadline set by the national industry regulator, the National Media and Infocommunications Authority (NMHH). Details of the tender process were first announced on 22 May this year.
The NMHH now has 15 days to assess the individual applications in order to qualify them to move to the bidding phase. The tender documents will be opened on 17 June, with bidders fighting for rights to use unused parts of the 800MHz, 900MHz, 1800MHz and 2600MHz frequency bands – along with part of the higher, 26GHz band – which the watchdog hopes will raise at least HUF104 billion (USD468.7 million) for government coffers. The winners will be able to use the frequencies until 2034; the NMHH had previously indicated the concessions would only be valid (initially) for 15 years.