The Norwegian Post and Telecommunications Authority (NPT) has confirmed that it has received an application for a spectrum licence in the 800MHz band (791MHz-821MHz/832MHz-862MHz) for use on the archipelago of Svalbard. As such, the watchdog has asked that any competing applications be submitted by midday on 25 April 2014. Although the NPT will not charge an outright fee for the Svalbard licence, the holder will be expected to pay an annual charge for the concession. The estimated 2014 fee for a continuous 10MHz block in the 800MHz band is NOK34,000 (USD5,628).
Svalbard, which is midway between mainland Norway and the North Pole, previously hit the telecoms headlines in June 2011 when Telenor launched a Long Term Evolution (LTE) base station there, which it claimed represented the northernmost 4G network in the world at that time.