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MADRID, March 30 (Reuters) - Spain will delay a planned
auction of 5G spectrum due to the coronavirus outbreak, the
government said on Monday.
As part of a Europe-wide drive to speed up the roll out of
fast Internet and broaden coverage, Spain had been due to free
up space in the 700 MHz band of its network by switching from
analogue to digital terrestrial television by June 30.
One of the world's worst national outbreaks of the virus,
which had infected 85,915 people and killed 7,340 as of Monday,
constitutes force majeure, making it impossible to stick to that
deadline, the government said in a statement.
Madrid has told Brussels it will set a new deadline for the
700 MHz band depending on the eventual end-date for emergency
measures including restrictions on people's movements, it added.
Austria postponed a planned 5G auction last week, and the
CEO of French group Iliad said one coming up in France would
likely meet the same fate.
(Reporting by Isla Binnie; Editing by Jessica Jones and Giles
Elgood)