3 Sweden said it will be mounting a legal challenge to the outcome of the 700 MHz frequency auction. Two players acquired spectrum for a record auction sum, said Tre, and claims this largely proves it right in its warning that operators with larger resources dominate the mobile market excessively. CEO Johan Johansson said spectrum should be delegated sensibly.
Following the second and final stage of the auction, Telia will receive permits for 2x10 MHz in the range 713-723 MHz and 768-778 MHz. The Net4Mobility venture of Tele2 and Telenor will get permits for 2x5 MHz at 723-728 MHz and 778-783 MHz, as well as 2x5 MHz at 728-733 MHz and 783-788 MHz.
3 Sweden said the auction model made it possible for the companies with the greatest resources to obtain valuable parts of the 700 MHz band, which distorts competition in the mobile sector even more. Tre said PTS tried to compensate the market by offering four SDL blocks that nobody wanted. It said this shows that the watchdog's market analysis before the auction to have been flawed.
Tre said it considers the auction model to breach several EU directives, the Swedish government's own instructions to PTS, and the regulator's own obligations to promote competition.
In July, Tre said it would complain about the auction at the administrative law court in Stockholm in an attempt to change the terms.
