Austria moved to get a second auction of 5G spectrum back on track, after being forced to postpone the move due to the Covid-19 (coronavirus) outbreak.

The Austrian Telekom Control Commission (TKK) said the auction would take place in the second-half of August, with approved bidders already notified of the procedures. The sale of frequencies in the 700MHz, 1500MHz and 2100MHz bands was originally due to happen in April, but authorities detailed a delay in March as the pandemic took hold.

TKK said it will take the necessary precautions to ensure the auction is carried out safely during the outbreak.

Auction rules prohibit bidders from revealing their participation or bidding strategies, in an effort to avoid influencing the process or auction result.

A previous auction of spectrum in the 3.4GHz to 3.8GHz band was held in March 2019, with seven successful bidders and generating €188 million.

When the latest sale was postponed, the regulator offered assurances there would be no knock-on impact on the deployment of next-generation networks.