Austria: Spectrum auction beats expectations, secures Telekom Austria’s position

A government auction of wireless frequency raised $2.75 billion and secured the positions of major players Telekom Austria, Hutchinson Whampoa and Deutsch Telekom’s T-Mobile in the nation, say reports.

Telekom Austria was the highest bidder, securing 28 frequency blocks for more than $1.4 billion. One analyst described the outcome of the auction as “clearly above expectations.” The spectrum auction was the largest in the nation’s history.

The telecommunications watchdog had delayed the auction by about a year following Hutchinson’s acquisition of Orange Austria in 2012. The move left the nation with just the three players.

Reports say funds raised from the auction were nearly four-times what regulators were looking for. The nation’s Infrastructure Ministry vowed to invest half of the money raised through the auction to updating Internet infrastructure within remote areas and supporting technological innovation.

Full content: Bloomberg

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