The Estonian operator Elisa has been awarded the first 700 MHz frequency in the country’s second 5G auction.
As previously reported by Broadband TV News, it was awarded the first 5G licence in Estonia by the Estonian Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority (TTJA) in May this year.
The 700 MHz frequency is one of three important ones that will allow 5G coverage to reach even more people, especially those living in rural areas.
Commenting on the award, Andrus Hiiepuu, head of Elisa, said: “If the 3500 MHz frequency won in the spring brought high speeds and volumes to customers, the advantage of the 700 MHz frequency band is the possibility to offer a significantly wider coverage area.
“The first 5G licence won this spring enabled Elisa to start with the development of the 5G network, and today we have brought 5G to every county in Estonia. By the end of the year, Elisa 5G will already cover more than half of the Estonian population”.
According to Toomas Polli, head of Elisa’s technology unit, Elisa’s strategic approach is to acquire all important frequencies that enable the best internet service for our customers. “Winning the 700 MHz auction allowed us to be the first to choose the best possible frequency band for our network.
“The newly won frequency is extremely important from the perspective of the future, because together with the developments of the 5G core network, it allows us to bring low latency and the opportunity to offer the Internet of Things to devices that do not need high speeds”.
