Germany’s 5G spectrum auction resumes after bids slowed before Easter

FRANKFURT: Germany’s auction of spectrum for 5G mobile services resumes on Tuesday after bidding slowed to a crawl last week before the Easter holiday, with the amount pledged by the four firms taking part currently around 5.4 billion euros ($6.1 billion).

More than a month in, the auction is shaping up to be one of the longest on record with 218 rounds completed so far – just shy of the 224 rounds in a similar auction in 2010.

But it’s far from being the most expensive – a 3G auction in 2000 raised 50 billion euros. Were things to wind up near current levels, auction proceeds would be broadly in line with amounts forecast by independent analysts.