The Norwegian Post and Telecommunications Authority (NPT) has scrapped the January 2015 date it had set to auction off 1,800 MHz spectrum.
The regulator said TeliaSonera’s SKr5.1bn (US$744m) takeover of Tele2’s Norwegian unit – which would leave…
The Norwegian Post and Telecommunications Authority (NPT) has scrapped the January 2015 date it had set to auction off 1,800 MHz spectrum.
The regulator said TeliaSonera’s SKr5.1bn (US$744m) takeover of Tele2’s Norwegian unit – which would leave the country with just two established operators – had significantly changed the market and meant the tender required a rethink.
The NPT said that the merger, still subject to the approval of the antitrust authority, could be of great significance to several of the bidders and the situation should be clarified before the 1,800 MHz frequencies are sold. It added that it will reschedule the auction in due course.
The regulator had announced the auction in July and laid out plans to award three blocks of spectrum.
Tele2 missed out in Norway’s last spectrum sale in December 2013. At the time, the country secured NKr1.79bn (US$291m) by selling frequencies in the 800 MHz, 900 MHz and 1,800 MHz bands to TeliaSonera, incumbent Telenor, and an entity owned by market entrant Access Industries.
