Spain to double 5G licenses to 40 years at future auctions

Spain, will double the duration of radio frequency licences, including for 5G networks. The change in legislation will allow telecommunications companies and investors better visibility on their investment in the heavily indebted sector.

This requires high levels of spending to build infrastructure such as fibre optic networks. Following approval by a council of ministers, the economic and digital affairs ministry said that extending the duration of these concessions is a way of guaranteeing stability, predictability and adequate return on investment for the operators.

30% of the 140 billion euros ($169.18 billion) is to be dedicated by Spain that it will receive in European recovery funds to its digitalisation plan. Among that particularly the development of 5G mobile data is one of the major plans. Economy Minister Nadia Calvino said that a series of auctions for the coveted radio frequencies were due. And this includes the ones for the 700 MHZ band typically used to deploy 5G mobile data. This move was welcomed by the mobile and broadband sector.