Six companies have expressed an interest in taking part in what is set to become Germany's digital dividend spectrum auction, the nation's telecom regulator said.
While the watchdog has yet to reveal which companies have signed up, Deutsche Telekom, Vodafone, Telefonica's O2 Germany and KPN's German subsidiary are all expected to be on the shortlist, Reuters said.
On the auction block will be the spectrum to be freed up during the switchover from analog to digital TV, as well as additional UMTS licenses.
The sale is expected to generate up to €5 billion ($7.07 billion).
Meanwhile, Telenor's Serbian subsidiary has won the country's second fixed-line license, after submitting the only bid.
The government has accepted Telenor Serbia's offer of €1.05 million for the license, the Swedish Wiresaid.
The license should be issued by February. If so, Telenor Serbia will begin offering fixed telephony and internet services by the end of the year.
Telenor Serbia is already the nation's second-biggest mobile phone operator, with some 2.8 million subscribers.
The only fixed-line service in Serbia is currently offered by the state-controlled Telekom Srbija, which has 7.5 million customers.