A PYMNTS Company

Bulgaria’s Regulator Seeks 5G Rollout Resolution

By  |  March 15, 2021

Bulgaria’s telecom regulator announced on Monday, March 15, it would seek ways to speed up the commercial rollout of 5G wireless networks after telecom operator Vivacom contested in court its decision to allocate three 5G licenses, reported Reuters.

The Communication Regulation Commission (CRC) decided to close a 5G auction and grant each of the country’s three major telecom operators a licence in the 3.6 GHz spectrum without competition after reviewing their applications for the process.

Bulgaria’s leading telecom firm Vivacom, controlled by United Group, has started legal proceedings over the way the licenses were assigned, a court filing showed, a process that could take months or years and seriously delay the development of the country’s 5G networks.

“We will hold a meeting and seek ways to move forward because it is in the national interest to speed up the process, if it is possible. If not, it will be left in the hands of the court,” CRC head Ivan Dimitrov told Reuters.

Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.