Comarch Obtains a private 5G License at 4GHz in Poland in Order to Develop an Enterprise NOC

The Polish telecommunications regulator, the Office of Electronic Communications (UKE), has granted Comarch a spectrum license to construct a private 5G network and network operations center (NOC) in the local 4-4.1 GHz band, the company announced. It stated that for research and testing purposes, it will implement the infrastructure at its 5G LAB at its headquarters in Kraków using muMIMO technology, with the intention of launching its own private 5G management service. The permit has been issued for a duration of twelve months; network equipment or system integrator partners remain unknown.

It is among the first companies in Poland to receive a municipal 5G license. September of last year marked the release of the 3800-4200 MHz (3.8-4.2 GHz) frequency band by UKE to municipalities and businesses for private LTE/5G deployments. It has designated the 3800-3900 MHz band exclusively for local governments, which are eligible to qualify for the entire 100 MHz allocation; at 3900-4200 MHz, "other entities" including Comarch and businesses, are permitted to license up to 100 MHz. Licenses govern the operation of base stations with low or medium power; mid-power radios are prohibited within the 4000-4200 MHz frequency range.

At its Kraków headquarters, Comarch plans to deploy a "completely operational" autonomous 5G (SA) network, the company announced. It stated that the site will host the "central infrastructure" (core network); this suggests that the site will function as an enterprise NOC, offering private 5G network design and administration as a service to external businesses. The organization also stated that it will utilize the network to test "self-management and AI-assisted network optimization (MIRA) solutions at higher frequencies" and to demonstrate commercially available solutions to businesses using the larger infrastructure.