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PTS to auction off 30 MHz of spectrum in the 700 MHz band in December; rules ensure at least two winners.
Sweden’s telecoms regulator has invited bidders to submit applications for two mobile spectrum auctions that will take place before the end of the year.
Most significantly, the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS) plans to auction off 700-MHz frequencies on 1 December and has given would-be bidders until 1 November to apply to take part.
It has 30 MHz of paired spectrum available, which it has split into four 5-MHz blocks and one 10-MHz block; the latter carries a coverage obligation for the rollout of voice and broadband services in hard-to-reach areas.
Bidders will be restricted to a maximum of 2×20 MHz each. This guarantees that at least two winners will emerge, but not preclude more players walking away with spectrum, the PTS explained, in a statement last week.
The licences will run from 1 April next year until the end of 2039.
On Monday the PTS made a new announcement, inviting interested parties to apply to participate in a separate auction of spectrum in the 1800 MHz band that will take place in the autumn.
It is auctioning off a single 5-MHz block of paired 1800-MHz spectrum on 24 October and has set an application deadline of 10 October.
The spectrum in question is currently held by Net4Mobility, a joint venture between Telenor and Telenor, but the licence is due to expire at the end of May next year. The new licence will run from 1 June 2017 to 31 December 2027.
The regulator has set a reserve price of 40 million kronor (€4.2 million).
