German telecoms regulator Matthias Kurth has said that if a telecoms merger results in the forfeit of a 3G license, it will not be resold for at least five years. RegTP is already planning to distribute additional 3G spectrum to existing license holders in 2007. The regulator will resell any returned licenses at the same time.
RegTP believes that the current market conditions are not right for a license sale. It will hold back any licenses in the hope that the market will improve and the value of licenses rise.
Any licenses handed back will not receive a refund. As a result, the financial loss would have to be accounted for ahead of any consolidation in the industry.
