Dutch government sued over 5G bandwidth decision

According to a Reuters report, Inmarsat, a satellite communications company, announced that it has filed a civil lawsuit against the Dutch government, seeking to retain its access to the 3.5 GHz bandwidth, which the state is planning to auction in 2022 for use in 5G communications. Inmarsat’s spokesman said the company currently uses the frequency for safety communications with sea traffic from its site in Burum, Netherlands. The company argues the bandwidth could be shared without difficulty under a plan it has proposed to the Ministry of Economic Affairs of Netherlands. Dutch government spokesman said the approaching availability of the 3.5GHz bandwidth has been announced in 2018, after the EU member states agreed harmonisation of frequencies. The Hague District Court will hear arguments of the case on 11 May, 2021.