T-Mobile begins 700MHz 5G testing in Holland

T-Mobile has received two testing licences for 5G spectrum in the 700MHz band, according to reports in the press.

T-Mobile will begin live testing of the spectrum on the 2^nd of October, following the award by Dutch regulator, Agentschap.

T-Mobile will begin testing in The Hague immediately and will continue for the next two months. T-Mobile in the Netherlands already holds 5G spectrum licences for spectrum in the 3.5GHz and 26GHz bands.

The Dutch government has confirmed that it intends to hold its 700MHz spectrum auction between Q4 2019 and Q1 2020, as it prepares for a 5G launch in the first half of 2020.  It has also confirmed that it intends to hold an additional 3.5GHz auction later in the year.

The Netherlands' 5G spectrum auctions have been delayed numerous times, most recently because the country's government said that it needed more time to study the economic potential of 5G in the country.

Historically, the 700MHz band has been used for digital television broadcasts in the Netherlands, but satellite TV providers in the country have now successfully cleared the airwaves ahead of the country's 5G launch next year.

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