The European Commission started infringement proceedings against Croatia and the Netherlands for failure to publish a plan for releasing the 700 MHz band for mobile services. An EU decision from 2017 required all EU states to make public their plans for the band by the end of June 2018.
Croatia and the Netherlands have been sent a letter of formal notice for not implementing the decision. As the roadmaps are not adopted, the development of 5G might be delayed in Croatia, the Netherlands and surrounding countries, the Commission said. If Croatia and The Netherlands do not act within the next two months, the Commission may send reasoned opinions on the matter.
The Netherlands has proposed auctioning the 700 MHz band in late 2019, along with several other frequencies. However, the auction plans have been delayed by the pending merger of T-Mobile and Tele2 Netherlands.
