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The Federal Network Agency has paved the way for auctioning frequencies for the fifth generation of mobiles (5G). "By badigning frequencies, we are creating planning and investment security and contributing to a rapid and appropriate expansion of mobile networks in Germany," said Jochen Homann, president of the Federal Network Agency. .
The Federal Network Agency had on Monday very controversial and until recently very controversial political conditions: the advisory commission appointed by the political decision-makers voted in Berlin for the procurement rules of the 5G of the network agency. to the final project.
The plans were finally approved by the so-called chamber of the president of the network agency. With their decision, which can be viewed here in PDF format, an approval procedure starts now. Companies can write to January 25, 2019 to express their interest in participating in the auction.
No obligation for national roaming
The current decision of the network agency means that telecom companies will not be forced to open their networks for national roaming in the future. However, the agencies are required by the Federal Network Agency to negotiate technical and contractual cooperation with their competitors.
The final requirements of the network agency however include the requirement for network operators to provide at least 98% of households per federal state with mobile Internet access of at least 100 megabits per second from their home. Here at the end of 2022.
The frequency auction will begin in the spring of 2019 and concerns the frequencies available for 5G from 2020. The chairman of the advisory board, Joachim Pfeiffer (CDU), spoke of a "leap forward into the company's gigabit ".
Not completely convinced
The advisory board also addressed criticism to the Federal Network Agency. The panel therefore called on the Authority "to exploit its potential to bring market players to maximize cooperation so that all end users have access to the most universal networks possible."
The Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband (vzbv) criticized the conditions of the contract on Monday. From the consumer's point of view, they are "disappointing", explained the director of vzbv, Klaus Mueller. "The already stagnant competition in the mobile phone market is further reinforced by this," he criticized. "The problem of white dots in rural areas will continue to accompany us for a while."
The president of the European Economic Research Center (ZEW) and chairman of the Monopoly Commission, Achim Wambach, talks about a "good compromise". Very high requirements that were partly required, "which would have been disproportionately burdensome for the expanding companies," were rightly omitted.
Especially the economy expects the 5G
From here to the end of 2024, the rapid mobile Internet coverage in Germany is expected to improve considerably. 5G technology is especially important for the economy, the technology is considered essential for autonomous driving and wireless control of machines and robots.
For private customers, it should initially play a minor role, as most applications currently on the market with 4G (LTE) are well usable. 5G smartphones are not yet on the market.
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