News
Operators pay 22 million each for 2×10 MHz of spectrum; licences valid from February 2017.
Telia Company, Elisa, and DNA on Thursday all announced they have won 700-MHz spectrum in Finland.
Six blocks of 2×5 MHz spectrum in the 703 MHz-733 MHz and 758 MHz-788 MHZ bands went under the hammer.
All three of Finland’s existing mobile operators each secured 2×10 MHz of frequencies, each one paying the reserve price of €22 million. Payments can be made in five annual instalments. The licences are valid from the beginning of February 2017, and are due to expire at the end of 2033.
All the licences come with a 4G coverage requirement of 99% of the population by February 2020.
In separate statements, DNA and Elisa said their 4G networks have already reached 99% population coverage, while Telia said its 4G network coverage currently stands at 97%.
"Our customers’ demand for connectivity and the popularity of on-demand video on mobile terminals drive mobile data growth, and the frequencies will provide more capacity in the network. In the future, the frequencies are expected to be used also with new generation 5G networks," said Telia, which operates under the Sonera brand in Finland.
"The new 700-MHz spectrum enables [the] build-up of 4G capacity, particularly in sparsely populated areas," said DNA.
"4G network construction in 700 MHz frequencies will begin in 2017," said Elisa.
