Tele2 has emerged as the only major mobile operator in Norway not to pick up extra 4G frequencies in the country’s latest spectrum auction.
Its rivals TeliaSonera and Telenor – and a mysterious bidder called Telco Data – all picked up blocks of…
Tele2 has emerged as the only major mobile operator in Norway not to pick up extra 4G frequencies in the country’s latest spectrum auction.
Its rivals TeliaSonera and Telenor – and a mysterious bidder called Telco Data – all picked up blocks of spectrum in the 800 MHz, 900 MHz and 1,800 MHz bands. A final round of bidding on 9 December will decide specifically where their new frequencies will be allocated.
John-Eivind Velure, assistant director of local regulator NPT’s frequency management department, declined to disclose the identity of Telco Data but told TelecomFinance it is backed by a major international conglomerate based in an OECD country with “significant experience in telecoms and media”.
He said the company will reveal its plans in the new year.
Mats Granryd, CEO of Stockholm-based Tele2, said: “We are obviously not satisfied with the outcome of the auction, but we will continue to build on our strong position in Norway. Our own network covers about 75% of the population, and we will continue to provide the Norwegian mobile customers with affordable and easy-to-use mobile services.”
The telco, which already holds 900 MHz and 2,100 MHz spectrum but unlike its larger competitors has yet to launch 4G, said it would continue to look at joint ventures and other forms of partnerships to grow in Norway.
It is also planning to bid in another upcoming auction of frequencies in the 1,800 MHz band, with details of that process expected to be announced next week when regulator NPT reveals the results of its latest sale.
A spokesman for Tele2 declined to comment on whether it will now be slowing down the deployment of 4G in the country. He said the group is still evaluating the situation and is scheduling a press conference on 10 December to provide an update.
The 800 MHz frequencies picked up by the three winners require the provision of mobile broadband services averaging 2 Mbps to 40% of Norway’s population.
In addition, because TeliaSonera won the ‘A2’ coverage obligation block in the 800 MHz band, it must provide that speed to 98% of the population – primarily with that band – within five years. The operator currently offers 4G to around 50% of the population on its 1,800 MHz and 2.6 GHz bands, and “high speed 3G access” to roughly 85%.
The new licences are valid for 20 years starting 1 January 2014, and the price each operator paid for them will be made public on 10 December 2013.
Smith Institute was hired to independently audit the first and second phase of the sale to ensure consistency with the auction’s rules.
