Denmark consults on digital dividend auction

The Danish Telecommunications Authority has launched a public consultation on draft documents for the auction of spectrum in the 800MHz ‘digital dividend’ frequency band. The government plans to auction off 2×30MHz of spectrum in the 791MHz-821MHz and 832MHz-862MHz bands in May 2012. The spectrum will be assigned for the use of telecommunications services, including 4G mobile broadband based on Long Term Evolution (LTE), and will be awarded nationwide on a service- and technology-neutral basis. The available spectrum has been divided into five lots – one lot of 2×10MHz and four lots of 2×5MHz. Applicants may not bid for a package containing more than 2×20MHz of 800MHz spectrum. Pursuant to the government objective that everyone should have access to a broadband connection of at least 100Mbps by 2020, the 800MHz licences carry certain coverage obligations aimed at improving the availability of high speed internet in areas where the current availability of such services is the lowest. In the area to which the coverage obligation applies, licensees must cover 99.8% of households and enterprises and 98% outdoor coverage (excluding forests) with a mobile broadband service with a download rate of at least 10Mbps by the end of 2014. The coverage obligation can be met by using frequencies governed by the licence or other frequencies available to the permit holder. The closing date for responses to the 800MHz draft documents has been set at 15 December 2011.