On July 1, 2024, the auction of the 3.5 GHz band in the Netherlands ended. These frequencies are intended for high-speed 5G internet. The auction brought the treasury over 174 million euros in revenue. VodafoneZiggo, Odido and KPN secured frequencies and are rolling out 5G starting August 1, 2024.
While 5G has been used in the countries around us for years, the auction of the 3.5 GHz frequency band was delayed in the Netherlands. This is mainly due to the satellite earth station in Burum that is used by the secret services to eavesdrop on satellite traffic. It was therefore forbidden for a long time to use the 3.5 GHz frequency above the Amsterdam-Zwolle line.
.Satellite company Inmarsat was also housed in Burum and depends on the frequency for its services to enable communications at sea. A solution has since been found for all these problems. Mainly by moving these dishes to other locations.
174 million
The auction resulted in three parties being able to offer 5G on the 3.5 GHz band. The winners are also current telecom providers, namely VodafoneZiggo, Odido and KPN. A total of €174,427,204 was paid for this, according to a letter from the Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate to the House of Representatives.
.KPN and Odido paid 58.4 million each. VodafoneZiggo was the cheapest with €57.5 million. All were allocated 100 MHz of spectrum.
Waiting for the license
Most operators have taken measures to make use of the 3.5 GHz frequency as soon as possible. For example, Odido writes that half of the masts will be able to switch on as soon as it receives the permit from the National Digital Infrastructure Inspectorate (RDI). That will presumably be the case after the summer.