Telia Lietuva, AB (hereinafter "Telia Lietuva" or "the Company") acquired two 1,500 MHz frequency blocks for almost EUR 10 million and stood out as the largest investor in the 1,500 MHz frequency band in an auction organized by the Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA). The Company received the largest share of these frequencies sold - 40 MHz, which will be used for further development of the 5G network. Along with this achievement, Telia Lietuva also extended the right to use the 2,100 MHz frequency band in another auction, committing to pay the state another EUR 2 million for this right.
A total of three 20 MHz frequency blocks were sold at the auction. Unlike usual, when operators are allowed to purchase only one block, this time they were allowed to purchase two adjacent frequency blocks. Telia Lietuva took advantage of this opportunity and purchased double amount of frequencies, while one of the operators was left without access to this spectrum.
According to Giedre Kaminskaite-Salters, CEO of Telia Lietuva, the auction results reflect the real market value of these frequencies and their importance for future communication services.
"There was fierce competition for these frequencies, and the opportunity to purchase both blocks was determined by our highest offered price. This is another investment in the quality of the network, which customers experience every day when using communication services. Communication leadership is not a declaration - it must be constantly substantiated by investments in the network and its capacity," says Giedre Kaminskaite-Salters.
According to her, the significant difference between the amounts paid at the auction shows that additional network capacity and the highest quality of services require long-term investments.
"The auction results showed the true value of these frequencies in the market. Additional network capacity and the highest quality of services do not appear by themselves - they are created by consistent investments in infrastructure, technologies and frequency resources. It is precisely such investments that allow us to prepare for future needs and maintain the highest quality of the network for customers throughout Lithuania," says G. Kaminskaite-Salters.
The 1,500 MHz frequency band is used to increase the capacity of mobile communication networks and ensure more efficient data transmission. This specific frequency, according to the standard, is exclusively focused on data downloading. Additional frequencies become especially important with the growth of video content consumption, the use of cloud services and other activities generating large data flows. Due to the favorable spread properties and the acquired sufficiently wide 1,500 MHz frequency band, it becomes possible to achieve higher download speeds in areas located somewhat further from base stations.
In addition to the 1,500 MHz frequency band, Telia Lietuva has extended the 2,100 MHz frequency license for a period of 16 years through an auction for EUR 2 million. This frequency is extremely important for providing 4G and 5G communication services.
"Frequencies are a limited, finite resource that we acquire for several decades to come. This is the real backbone and asset of our network. With the most modern equipment and these frequencies, we can ensure a smooth communication experience for each customer," emphasizes the Company's CEO.
New investments contribute to the results already achieved - an independent study of Lithuanian mobile communication networks published earlier this year by the German network security, defense and technology company Rohde & Schwarz showed that Telia's network is the best in the country and is on par with the best networks in the world in terms of quality.
Darius Džiaugys,
Head of Investor Relations,
tel. +370 5 236 7878,
e-mail: darius.dziaugys@telia.lt
