Swedish WiMAX auction results announced: 44 companies win spectrum

Swedish telecoms regulator the PTS has announced the completion of an auction of regional wireless broadband licences in the 3.6GHz-3.8GHz bands, suitable for WiMAX services. On offer were four 15-year technology-neutral licences per municipality; two FDD licences of 2×20MHz each and two TDD licences of 40MHz each (a total of 1,160 concessions); the permits carry no rollout obligations, whilst bidders were limited to a maximum of one licence in each municipality. 50 applicants were approved by the regulator, including incumbent fixed line operator TeliaSonera and second largest broadband provider Bredbandsbolaget (a.k.a. B2 Bredband, owned by Norway’s Telenor), as well as other alternative operators, municipal local network owners, energy utilities and IT service providers. The online auction commenced on 12 November and was completed a week later, with 44 companies winning 402 licences for a total price of SEK4.434 million (USD703,000), plus processing fees of SEK2,000 per licence. Bredbandsbolaget won concessions in all of Sweden’s 290 municipalities, paying a total of SEK2.533 million, IT Norrbotten was successful in 13 municipalities (SEK36,000), a subsidiary of TeliaSonera, Telia Sonera Mobile Networks, won in twelve municipalities (SEK581,000) and licences in eleven municipalities went to Celestine Hill Communications (SEK303,000). Three firms won concessions in eight municipalities: Gothenburg Energy Gothnet (SEK385,000), Radio Rex (SEK26,000) and IT4U Sweden (SEK10,000). Another 37 operators won licences in up to four municipalities. The regulator’s spectrum department will now analyse the results of the auction and formulate a plan for allocating the 758 unsold spectrum blocks.