A1 acquires 5G spectrum for $16.59 million in Croatia

A1 Telekom Austria Group announced the purchase of a new 5G spectrum worth $16.59 million for its Croatian subsidiary A1 Croatia, after winning a public auction on Thursday. 

Earlier last week, Croatia’s telecommunications regulator approved the bids placed by local mobile operators, Hrvatski Telekom (HT), A1, and Telemach in a public auction for allocation of national frequency licenses for 5G mobile networks. 

A1, Hrvatski Telekom, and Telemach were awarded national licenses in the 700 Mhz and 3600 MHz frequency bands, the regulator said in a statement. 

According to the deal, A1 will provide services with low-latency network which enables it to enhance gigabit download speeds. 

Meanwhile, A1 has deployed services in the capital of Zagreb plus a further 20 regional centers. Additionally, it assumes to achieve 90 percent population coverage by 2027. 

Similarly, HT has deployed 600 5G base stations, delivering services across an area with a population of two million. 

As for the third-placed local mobile operator, Telemach has revealed a $153 million investment plan to build out its 5G network. 

It’s worth noting that, at a regional level, licenses for the 3600 Mhz frequency band were awarded to BeeIN, Digicom, Eco Net, EOLO, Markoja and Terrakom, according to the Croatia’s telecommunications regulator. 

The new licenses will be issued for a period of 15 years and may be extended by up to five years.