In her keynote speech, Monika Karas emphasized that establishing the necessary conditions for fifth-generation Internet services in accordance with international consensus is vital to the strategy of the National Media and Infocommunications Authority. Accordingly, at the Internet Hungary conference on Tuesday, the President of the NMHH announced that the Authority had begun preparing the new spectrum sales planned for the third quarter of 2019. Service providers will be offered the 700 MHz and 3400-3800 MHz frequency bands, possibly along with some other currently available bands, given sufficient demand. However, the new 5G spectrum sales will also pose new regulatory challenges. The NMHH will draft the necessary legal requirements by the end of this year, allowing for debate and consultation regarding the market and social ramifications and details of the documents to begin in March, with the sales process itself commencing in early summer.

“The end goal is to make high quality, diverse and innovative 5G services available to users on the market at affordable prices, while giving service providers a stable predictable and regulatory environment to work in,” stated Monika Karas. It is vital to ensure that all involved – including service providers, users, and the owner of the frequency bands, the Hungarian State itself – have their needs met.

The President added that the significance of 5G will extend beyond its greater speed: not only will 5G networks make the life of users more convenient, but it will also pave the way for a number of new opportunities heretofore only seen in science fiction. For example, through the spread of networked smart devices and the continuous improvement of self-driving cars, 5G may spark changes that we cannot even imagine at present. The President of the NMHH also noted that ultimately, the purpose of all this technological progress is to improve people’s lives, and therefore encouraged responsible, cooperative thinking on the part of the participants.