NMHH, the telecom regulator in Hungary put in place the auction plan for blocks of radio spectrum with 15 year licenses. The blocks of spectrum to be auctioned are constituted by three in the 2100 MHz spectrum, two in the 900 MHz spectrum, and another one in the 900 MHz spectrum that will be accompanied by an option for an additional 1800 MHz spectrum.

According to the regulator, consultation on the auction will be held on the 27 September while closing date for applications would be 20 October. In addition, 12 December, 2011 is set for the auction date.

The blocks of spectrum being offered are:

One EGSM-band duplex frequency block of 5 MHz in the 880.1-885.1 / 925.1-930.1 MHz band (hereinafter referred to as: frequency block “A”);

The winning participant in the first round of the auction becomes entitled to a purchase option for three duplex frequency blocks of 5 MHz each in the 1725.1-1740 / 1820-1835 MHz band (hereinafter collectively referred to as: frequency block “D”);

Three UMTS-band (2100 MHz) duplex frequency blocks of 5 MHz each, in the 1965-1980 / 2155-2170 MHz band (hereinafter collectively referred to as: frequency block “E”);

(b) One EGSM duplex frequency block (hereinafter referred to as: frequency block “C”) of 0.8 MHz, and four 1-MHz EGSM duplex frequency blocks (hereinafter collectively referred to as: frequency block “B”) in the 885.1-889.9 / 930.1-934.9 MHz band;

(c) One PGSM-band duplex frequency block of 1 MHz in the 913.9-914.9 / 958.9-959.9 MHz band (hereinafter referred to as: frequency block “B”).

Magyar Telekom, Telenor and Vodafone constitute the three mobile networks that operate in Hungary. A consortium of these mobile networks has formed the Hungarian Mobile Wallet Association in a bid to promote mobile payment services based on the NFC technology. In addition, MasterCard, OTP Bank and SuperShop constitute the other founding members.

Designing and articulating the prerequisite technological standards for mobile NFC services by way of recommendations stand for the primary objective of the association, in addition to submitting proposals with respect to the successful implementation of the service, and ensuring that the partners may freely join the service, besides spreading awareness and education in relation to the implementation of the innovative mobile NFC services.

Speakers of the first Telenor Future Research Symposium expect solutions made available by the new mobile network to trigger fundamental changes in education. Increasing broadband coverage and implementing new-generation networks are key to digital economy and information society. In response to this need, Telenor started developing its network in January this year. As a result, it will soon launch its new Hipernet service offering data rates higher than before. With this move, Telenor will provide subscribers with an enhanced user experience and pave the way for future developments. These developments will enable anytime and anywhere learning and lead to the emergence of rich interactive curricula.

The network modernization project of Telenor launched in January will open new chapter in the history of the Internet and make the Hipernet service offering higher data rates available to the entire population of Hungary. In addition to providing access to new technology, it will also make daily Internet use more enjoyable. “The event series launched by Telenor today aims to present seemingly futuristic mobile communications solutions that will become an integral part of daily life in the future”, said Frank Klausz III, Chief Corporate Development Officer, at the opening event of the Telenor Future Research Symposium.

The Telenor Future Research Symposium featured experts demonstrating how the growth of mobile communications will shape the future of education and how the learning process will change as a result of opportunities provided by the new infrastructure.

“By 2015, there will be 7.1 bn mobile Internet-enabled devices in use worldwide and tablets will generate a data traffic higher than that of all current mobile devices combined. Smartphones will also have a data traffic sixteen times higher than today’s average value [1]”, said Frank Klausz III. “The widespread use of infocommunications technologies will change school-based and other types of education out of recognition. With higher education being so open to adopting new technologies, this change may happen earlier than you would expect.”

Hipernet will make no-compromise Internet a reality which means that students may move from text-based learning to multimedia content. M-learning solutions offer real and immediate benefits enabling knowledge sharing from anywhere in the world. This will make learning an interactive cross-border experience.

“The ongoing information revolution will transform our life and learning the same way as the industrial revolution transformed everything from work to family structure and education. Teaching limited in time and space – e.g. classroom-based teaching – will be replaced by a new setup in which knowledge will be provided by an interactive environment rather than a specific educational institution. We’ll move from instructor-driven one-to-many information sharing to empirical learning focusing on relationships rather than facts”, said Zoltán Galántai, future researcher.

“The increasingly important role of mobile telephony has been supported by international statistics. There are over 5 bn mobile handsets in use worldwide which makes them the most widely used communication device. The trend is reinforced by the explosive growth of smartphones spreading four times faster than traditional handsets. There will be 450 million smartphones produced in 2011 alone. A major consequence for education is that e-learning will be replaced by a new phenomenon called m-learning which includes both the educational use of mobile technology and anywhere (mobile) learning”, said Róbert Pintér, Online Account Director of Szonda Ipsos.

In the UK, the benefits of m-learning have already been tested in practice. The pilot m-learning system called Mobile Learning Network (MoLeNet) has been used by 40,000 students and 7,000 staff in 100 different projects. Student performance is monitored and compared to that of students learning in a traditional environment and the results clearly show an increase in performance for those using a mobile device. [2]

“The world has changed. And this change is already a thing of the past. It is not a question for the digital generation. Anytime and anywhere access to content is part of their lifestyle and they no longer consider mobile telephony, television and network communication as different systems. They live in a dynamic world of content and relationships and they demand access from any device or terminal. For them, empirical learning is natural. But is education based on a 19th century model natural for this generation?”, asked film critic András Réz. He believes that being the primary source of knowledge, schools of the future will have to provide students with content management systems and introduce them to humane values.

Participants of the event were presented several futuristic solutions such as 3D presentations based on the stereoscopic display technology used in 3D cinemas. This technology uses two powerful projectors to project two images on a special silver screen converted into 3D experience by the human brain. Another highlight of the event was the forward-looking educational software of WebCam Laboratory, winner of the audience award for the most innovative solution at the recent Innovation TechShow. This tool was designed to make science education more spectacular and enjoyable.

Vodafone Hungary has concluded the second phase of its LTE trials, where LTE FDD ( Frequency Division Duplex) technology was tested in Hungary’s capital Budapest.

The third phase of trials will take place in June-July in Budapest. In this phase, LTE TDD (Time Division Duplex Long Term Evolution) technology will be put to the test.