New 5G licences in Austria to be tied to rural rollout

VIENNA: Austria’s telecoms regulator RTR said on Monday bidders in the second auction of 5G licences will have to commit to roll out fast internet in rural areas, aiming to ensure access for every community in the largely rural and mountainous country.

The auction for 700, 1,500 and 2,100 Mhz bands, which will provide data rates needed for autonomous driving and to connect machines and production sites, is planned for spring 2020, RTR chief Klaus Steinmaurer told a news conference in Vienna.