Nova has become the first company to launch commercial 4G network technology in Iceland, with Long Term Evolution (LTE) services now covering the whole Reykavik area. According to the company the expected speed based on equipment and conditions is 20Mbps-40Mbps, making it a powerful alternative to ADSL and fibre broadband. Nova has recently won an auction of 1800MHz and 800MHz spectrum for LTE, alongside Fjarskipti (Vodafone Iceland), Simmin and newcomer 365 Media, as the company offered the highest bid for frequency bands C and J (2×5MHz at 800MHz and 2×5MHz at 1800MHz).
According to TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database, since 3G licensee Nova launched operations in December 2007 there are three major wireless network operators in Iceland, with Simmin holding approximately 39% of the mobile market share at 31 December 2012, Vodafone Iceland claiming 29.6% and Nova with 25% of subscribers.