The Council of Montenegro’s Agency for Electronic Communications and Postal Services has approved a five-year extension of MTEL’s radio frequency use permits in the 700 MHz and 3.6 GHz bands, pushing their validity to February 9, 2043. The decision, adopted at the Agency’s 42nd session on July 30, 2026, makes MTEL the first and so far only operator in Montenegro to extend its spectrum rights from 15 to 20 years under the country’s 2024 Law on Electronic Communications. The other two mobile operators that hold spectrum in these bands did not complete the process. The extension gives MTEL long-term certainty over two of Montenegro’s pioneer 5G bands.
Montenegro's Council Approves Five-Year Spectrum Extension
At its 42nd session on July 30, 2026, the Council of the Agency for Electronic Communications and Postal Services adopted additional approvals extending MTEL’s existing radio frequency use permits in the 694-790 MHz and 3400-3800 MHz bands for an additional five years, taking their validity to February 9, 2043. The extension is made possible under Article 226 of Montenegro’s Law on Electronic Communications from 2024, which allows pioneer 5G band permits originally issued for 15 years to be extended to a total of 20 years.
How the 700 MHz and 3.6 GHz Bands Support 5G in Montenegro
The 700 MHz and 3.6 GHz bands, along with 26 GHz, are considered Montenegro’s pioneer 5G bands. Permits for the 700 MHz and 3.6 GHz bands were originally awarded for 15 years following a successful spectrum auction in 2023, when mobile operators paid one-time fees totaling 8,836,146.00 euros to the Montenegrin budget for rights in these two bands. Extending the validity period to 20 years is intended to give operators a longer investment horizon for network planning and infrastructure development, particularly as 5G deployment accelerates and demand for network capacity continues to grow.
One-Time Fee Structure and Payment Schedule
To secure the extension, MTEL is paying a one-time fee in five equal annual installments of 249,680.00 euros, for a total of 1,248,400.00 euros to be paid to the Montenegrin budget by 2030. MTEL has already paid the first installment. The fee amount and payment structure were set by a decision of the Ministry of Economic Development governing the extension of radio frequency spectrum use authorizations in the 694-790 MHz and 3400-3800 MHz bands.
What This Means for Montenegro's Telecom Regulatory Landscape
The Agency has stated it will continue building a regulatory framework that encourages investment, supports the development of modern electronic communication networks, and ensures the efficient, transparent, and non-discriminatory management of Montenegro’s radio frequency spectrum. For equipment manufacturers, network vendors, and other market participants, MTEL’s extended spectrum rights provide added predictability around long-term 5G network planning in the 700 MHz and 3.6 GHz bands, even as the regulatory status of the other two operators’ holdings in these bands remains an open question.
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Quick Country Facts
Montenegro
Certification Body: AGENTEL
Certification Type: Not Required
License Validity: N/A
Application Language: N/A
Legal License Holder: N/A
In-Country Testing Requirement: In-Country Testing
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