The Dutch government has admitted a delay in the auction of the 3.5 GHz band for 5G services, planned for April 2022. This follows a legal challenge from Inmarsat, which already uses part of the spectrum. State secretary Mona Keijzer said in a brief to parliament that an advisory committee will look for a solution for the satellite station in Burum, in the north of the country.
Inmarsat obtained a court injunction in June against the government's decision to change the national spectrum plan and reserve the 3.5 GHz band for mobile services. The change would mean the company no longer can operate its emergency satellite communication services from Burum.
The ministry of economic affairs started talks with Inmarsat in July, as requested by the court, and the company said it's cooperating in an effort to reach a solution. The advisory committee is being set up and is expected to start work in October on resolving the conflicting interests.
According to the state secretary, the time required for the committee to do its work means the auction process is delayed. Nevertheless, the aim is to release the 3.5 GHz band as soon as possible in order to support the roll-out of 5G networks.
The ministry is hoping the committee issues its opinion in the first quarter of 2022. Preparatory work for the auction has already started, and a parliamentary commission will discuss the set-up on 09 September.
