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Government gives TV broadcasters until end of May 2018 to use frequencies while it evaluates their use for a public safety and defence network.
Telia this week described Sweden’s decision to cancel its upcoming 700-MHz auction as a step back for the digitalisation of the country.
"To meet the huge increase in demand it is essential to have access to more spectrum. Without, Sweden risks to get a negative trend with lower speeds in mobile networks, especially in rural areas where access to appropriate frequencies is limited," said Hélène Barnekow, EVP and head of Sweden at Telia, in a statement on Tuesday.
Sweden decided in 2014 to free up the frequencies – which were being used by TV broadcasters – for other uses; it aimed to complete the process by 1 April 2017. The Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS) planned to auction the spectrum to mobile operators in December.
However, the government on Monday announced that it wants to use some of that 700-MHz spectrum for a public safety and defence network. While the government investigates how it will go about doing this, TV broadcasters will be able to keep using the 700 MHz band until the end of May 2018.
"The government decision has altered the preconditions for the assignment in the 700 MHz band in such a way that we cannot implement the auction as planned. We intend to resume work on how the band should be assigned when these preconditions have become clear," said Catarina Wretman, acting director-general of the PTS, on Tuesday.
Telia argued that mobile operators are capable of providing the kind of public safety network the government wants.
"It is crucial that important public functions have access to future proof communication and we welcome that this will be further investigated. However, further investigation should not be the reason for stopping the auction of the 700 MHz band," Barnekow said.
"Mobile operators have shown that they can deliver a secure, cost effective and fast implemented solution for public safety through the commercial mobile networks. It is now important that the authorities, together with the market participants sit down and discuss what solutions there are for the public safety functions," she said.
