“An auction this year is no longer a possibility,” a spokesperson for the National Digital Infrastructure Service (RDI) reportedly told NU.nl.
“A new data for the auction has yet to be announced.”
The local operators including the likes of KPN, Vodafone and Odido are awaiting the chance to bid on frequencies so they can offer 5G mobile services in the country.
“This auction should have taken place a long time ago,” a KPN spokesperson told the newspaper.
“We are several years out of step with other countries in Europe, and there is still a lot of uncertainty.”
Odido is reportedly concerned that the Netherlands is at risk of losing its position as the country with the best mobile networks in the world.
The 3.5GHz band, which is part of the 5G spectrum, is particularly important to operators. It is crucial for the development of their networks and the provision of faster mobile internet services.
Mobile internet traffic is expected to grow by 30% to 50% per year in the country.
