The Belgian government has given final approval to the terms of the next mobile spectrum auction. The Consultative Committee, which brings together the federal and regional governments, approved the proposal, including room for a potential fourth player on the Belgian mobile market. With the approval of the necessary royal decrees, the 5G auction should take place without further delay in the second quarter of next year.
On Twitter, federal telecoms minister Petra De Sutter confirmed that the agreed auction terms create "modular and limited" space for a potential fourth operator. "If a price-fighter shows up to the auction, and wants to enter the mobile market as a new, fourth player, it will be possible," she said. "This could have a positive impact for all Belgians who currently pay high prices for their GSM plans."
The Belgian 5G auction was long delayed amid disagreement about how revenues would be distributed across the country’s regions, coupled with the process of forming a new government. A proposal from the previous government to support the entry of a fourth player faced resistance from both the market and some political parties.
The first royal decrees and the bill on the auction terms were approved in the federal Council of Ministers already in January. However, in the Consultative Committee that followed, the regions requested an additional study on the impact of 5G and the entry of a possible fourth network operator on price, investment, employment and the environment.
In October, the Council of Ministers finally approved new royal decrees for the 5G auction. These adopted a more modular approach to awarding the frequencies, limiting the amount of spectrum previously proposed for a fourth operator. Instead, a new entrant could purchase just a portion of rights to target specific market segments, such as the B2B market and enterprise networks.
The framework law was approved during the summer by parliament, and the amended royal decrees went under public consultation. An opinion by the Council of State was also requested. The Consultative Committee has now also given its green light for the arrival of a fourth player and the organisation of the Belgian 5G auction.
