UKE, the Polish regulator, runs the second round of consultation on the auction in 3.5 GHz band. The plan is to award four licences, each for 80 MHz, valid until the end of June 2035. Stakeholders can comment on the draft auction conditions until 27 February 2020.
Poland will bid the spectrum range of 3480-3800 MHz, known as one of the pioneer bands for 5G. The bidding shall start at the reserve price of PLN 450m per block. For four blocks the state treasury may thus expect total proceeds of PLN 1.8bn.
Each bidder must pay a vadium of PLN 182m. Later, during the bidding, the minimum deposit shall always be 50% of the current bid amount.
The condition of holding nation-wide spectrum licences and investments amounting to PLN 1bn qualify four established MNOs as the only participants.
Those who pass the SMRA auction successfully will be obliged to build at least 10 base stations in one voivodeship capital within four months. Moreover, until the end of 2023, the operators will have to build at least 300 and until the end of 2025 at least 700 base stations.
The coverage obligations should promote priority network development in bigger population centres, namely municipalities with more than 80,000 inhabitants.
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