June 10 (SeeNews) - Serbia's telecommunications regulator Ratel plans to complete the preparation of the legal basis for the launch of a 5G frequency auction in 2020, the head of Ratel, Vladica Tintor, has said.
"Next year, we will have everything prepared and in consultations with other institutions we will see when the most adequate moment for the launch of an auction is," Tintor said in a video file posted on the website of news agency Tanjug on Sunday.
The introduction of 5G technology by itself is not reasonable as mobile operators already offer a high-quality service to customers, Tintor said, adding the step will become reasonable when the economy is ready to accept this transformation.
Last year, Serbian trade minister Rasim Ljajic said the government plans to call a tender in 2019 for allocation of frequencies in the 700 MHz band, the so-called second digital dividend band which is crucial for the development of 5G networks.
The government plans to introduce 5G network on motorways and in Serbia's biggest cities by 2020 and to expand it to other parts of the country afterwards, Ljajic said back then.