According to a Reuter’s report, Germany’s Federal Network Agency (BNetzA) has announced that it would start awarding frequencies for local 5G networks in the second half of this year, in a policy targeting industrial uses of the high-speed mobile technology.
Companies will be able to apply for spectrum in the 3.7-3.8 GHz band, according to BNetzA. This process is separate to the auction of national 5G licenses that is planned to start on March 19. Germany currently has allocated two frequency bands for 5G: Lower Frequency Band: 3.4 - 3.8 GHz and Higher Frequency Band: 26.5 - 27.5 GHz.
According to BNetzA President Jochen Homann, there is great potential for 5G, especially in the industrial area and thus Germany wants to make frequencies available for companies to build local networks that exactly meet their needs. Several major industrial groups, including Volkswagen, Daimler Siemens and BASF say they are interested in local 5G spectrum to run ‘connected’ facilities.
