Following the conclusion of the multi-band spectrum auction in July, the Belgian Institute for Postal Services and Telecommunications (BIPT) has adopted a series of decisions granting frequency user rights in the 700MHz and 3600MHz bands. In addition to the incumbent mobile network operators Orange, Belgium, Proximus and Telenet, two new entrants – Citymesh Mobile (a joint venture between Citymesh and Romanian-backed Digi Communications) and IT services provider Network Research Belgium (NRB) – also succeeded in securing spectrum in the bands.
The BIPT has announced frequencies in the 700MHz band will be distributed as follows, with user rights valid from 1 September 2022 until 31 August 2042: Citymesh Mobile, which agreed to pay EUR19.335 million (USD19.4 million), has been assigned the ranges 703MHz-708MHz/758MHz-763MHz; Telenet, EUR21.34 million, 708MHz-713MHz/763MHz-768MHz; Orange Belgium, EUR122.86 million, 713MHz-723MHz/768MHz-778MHz; and Proximus, EUR122.87 million, 723MHz-733MHz/778MHz-788MHz.
As for the 3600MHz band, the following spectrum has been allocated with user rights valid from 1 September 2022 until 6 May 2040: Citymesh Mobile 3430MHz-3480MHz (EUR30.99 million); 3480MHz-3580MHz (EUR55.8 million); Network Research Belgium 3580MHz-3600MHz (EUR10.97 million); Orange Belgium: 3600MHz-3700MHz (EUR54.85 million); and Proximus 3700MHz-3800MHz (EUR56.32 million).