Romania's telecom authority Ancom is preparing to extend the validity of the four existing licences in the 2,100 MHz band until 31 December 2031. The authority proposed licence fees for the extension of the rights of use in proportion to the duration of the extension. Orange and Vodafone will each pay the equivalent in RON of EUR 30 million, while Telekom Romania Mobile Communications and RCS&RDS will each be charged the equivalent of EUR 25 million.
The initial licences were issued following tenders carried out in 2004 and 2006. The price was then USD 35 million for a period of 15 years.
Orange, Telekom and Vodafone use the 2,100 MHz band for the provision of UMTS / 3G networks, whereas RCS&RDS has also deployed the frequencies for LTE services. The licences held by Orange and Vodafone expire in March 2020, and those held by RCS&RDS and Telekom Romania Mobile Communications expire in January 2022. Each of the four operators has a similar amount of spectrum in the band.
