New measures needed to encourage the entrance of a fourth operator during 2019 Belgian 5G auction

摘要

On July 12, 2018, the Belgian Institute for Post and Telecommunications (BIPT) published an impact study regarding the entrance of a fourth mobile operator into the Belgian telecoms market. It also published proposed legislation to auction new mobile frequencies in 2019. The spectrum auction legislation aims to attract a fourth operator to the market by reserving spectrum for the new entrant. However, the regulator will need to introduce a raft of additional measures as well as allocating spectrum to ensure the playing field is levelled for the new entrant. In particular, the existing legislation regarding the processing time for receiving the necessary building and environment permits for the sites, pylons, and antennas poses a considerable challenge. As previous attempts to encourage a fourth operator have been unsuccessful, it is crucial that the regulator makes sure it creates the right regulatory environment ahead of the upcoming spectrum auction. Following the auction, spectrum licenses will be assigned for 20 years, so it would be far more challenging to allow a new entrant into the market and allocate them with sufficient spectrum.