Europe : The Swedish Post and Telecommunications Authority today concluded the auction of spectrum in the 2.6 GHz band, regarded as key to the next generation of mobile technology. Telenor Sweden was awarded a license for 2x 20 MHz in the auction, granting Telenor substantial opportunities to provide 4G services and high-quality mobile broadband.
"This is the most important spectrum auction since the 3G frequencies were distributed, and I'm very pleased that Telenor Sweden now holds this opportunity to build high-quality 4G networks and provide our customers with the many possibilities provided by next generation mobile services and Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology. With this spectrum, we will be able to provide high-quality mobile broadband with speeds of up to 300 Mbit/s, a major leap forward in the mobile race," said Johan Lindgren, CEO of Telenor Sweden.
The license is valid for 15 years and is technology neutral. Unlike with the existing 3G license, there are no requirements on geographic coverage or time for roll-out. Telenor has invested a total of 533 million SEK in the licenses.
"This license secures Telenor's position as a leading provider of mobile broadband in the Nordic region. We think that the evolution of 3G and 4G mobile technology eventually will make high speed internet available to every cell phone and to every portable PC, thus expanding broadband from a household service to a personal service," said Morten Karlsen Sørby, Executive Vice President and head of Telenor Nordic.
Norway and Sweden are the first two countries to assign licenses in the 2.6 GHz band for 4G. In November 2007 Telenor was granted a 4x20 MHz license in the Norwegian auction.
