Mainz holds first 4G auction
In the hangover that followed, successful bidders were left drowning in a sea of debt, and 3G, once it eventually got off the ground, proved something of a disappointment.
Ten years on, it is the turn of 4G frequencies to go under the hammer in the western city of Mainz today. The German government expects to reap only a fraction of the €50 billion it received last time. But with the new technology promising nothing less than a revolution, interest among firms like Britain’s Vodafone and T-Mobile is strong, with analysts pencilling in a windfall of €5-10 billion for Berlin.
