Serbia delayed its 5G auction again for the end of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic scuppering investment plans of operators, reported Serbian news agency Tanjug.
Tatjana Matic, minister of trade, tourism and telecommunications, said due to the “global economic crisis” and the unpredictable effects the pandemic has on businesses, companies have “withdrawn” potential 5G rollout plans citing uncertainty.
Matic noted operators registered interest in airwaves due to the potential to transform the industrial sector, and consumers will not be using 5G networks for mobile content services “to a large extent”.
Serbia originally planned to hold its 5G auction at the end of 2020 but this was pushed back to Q1 this year, also due to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.