Orange has committed to spend an additional €264.6 million in Romania following the results of the country’s latest 5G spectrum auction.
It saw the regulator ANCOM award at total of 420 MHz on the 700, 1500, 2600 and 3400-3800 MHz bands Orange, Vodafone and RCS&RDS with the latter two committing to paying €122.5 million and €45.5 million respectively.
The licence fees will be paid in instalments, with the first being on December 8, and the licences are valid for either 22 or 25 years.
Orange was the first company to launch 5G services in Romania and its 5G network already covers 20 cities. Its investment in 5G comes alongside wider investments in the country, having recently acquired Telekom Romania’s fixed-line business.
The latest 5G auction saw ANCOM offer half the radio spectrum available nationally.
Commenting on the award, Liudmila Climoc, CEO of Orange Romania, said: “Today we made a decision for the future, which once again shows our commitment to Romania. A digital future that needs a modern and powerful telecommunications infrastructure, essential to respond to increased traffic needs, but also innovations in connectivity services. We made a significant investment, to offer customers, the business environment, central and local administrations, but also researchers, an Orange network prepared for the challenges brought by the digital transformation of the next 25 years”.
