Sweden has completed the first stage of its 700 MHz auction, raising SEK 2.82 billion. Telia as well as the Net4Mobility joint venture of Tele2 and Telenor each acquired blocks of 2x10MHz, while the third bidder, 3 Sweden, did not acquire any of the spectrum, the regulator PTS announced.
In the final results, Telia will pay SEK 1.383 billion for 2x10 MHz, and Net4Mobility will pay SEK 721 million each for two lots of 2x5 MHz. The PTS had set a minimum price of SEK 50 million per 5 MHz.
The auction started on 04 December was completed after 46 bidding rounds. A second stage will be held on 11 December where the winning companies can bid for exact positions in the FDD spectrum.
5G and expanded coverage
Telia said it will use the spectrum to expand its nationwide mobile coverage and start the launch of 5G services. In line with the coverage obligations in the licences, the company said it will continue to aim for "Sweden's by far best quality and coverage".
Tele2 and Telenor announced that in conjunction with acquiring the new spectrum, they have agreed to expand their joint venture to include the launch of nationwide 5G services. The implementation will start from the second half of 2019, with services planned to launch in 2020.
According to Tele2’s and Telenor's updated plan, the shared mobile network will be expanded by more than 50 percent, resulting in thousands of new base stations across Sweden. This includes the existing shared 4G network as well as the launch of 5G. The 5G roll-out will start in the major cities of Sweden, followed by significant summer and winter resorts. During spring 2019, a detailed plan for the country will be published and updated continuously, as construction starts in each region and municipality.
3 appeals
The PTS confirmed that 3 Sweden participated in the auction but did not buy any spectrum. The operator earlier filed a legal appeal against the terms of the auction, saying it was unfair that only three lots of paired spectrum were offered when there are four mobile operators in Sweden.
