Norwegian regulator Nkom running the carrier auction process
The Norwegian Communications Authority (Nkom) plans to hold the second phase of its 1800 MHz spectrum auction later this month, the regulator said in a statement.
In the second phase of the process, mobile operators Telenor and TeliaSonera will compete for placement on the frequency band. The regulator said that the two telcos will have time until Jan. 28 to submit their bids for specific locations in the 1800 MHz spectrum band.
The two operators emerged as the winners of the 1800 MHz spectrum auction, which took place last month after 83 rounds of bidding. The regulator said it has obtained NOK 877.98 million ($103.3 million) for the spectrum. Telenor secured 20 megahertz in the 1800 MHz band for NOK583.3 million, while TeliaSonera secured 5 megahertz at a cost of NOK292.6 million. Mobile operator Ice Communication Norge also participated in the auction, but failed to obtain spectrum.
Nkom gave the winning operators until Jan. 20 to reach an agreement about the spectrum placement. The regulator said if the telcos failed to negotiate a written agreement within the time limit, the placement of the frequency blocks will be decided by an assignment auction.
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Telenor initially launched LTE services in Norway in October 2012. The telco’s LTE service is currently offered through the 800 MHz, 1800 MHz and 2.6 GHz bands.
TeliaSonera’s LTE was initially launched in 2012. The telco offers LTE services though the same spectrum bands. TeliaSonera operates in Norway under the NetCom brand.
TDC plans to launch Wi-Fi calling in 2016
In related EMEA news, Danish mobile operator TDC plans to commercially launch a Wi-Fi calling services later this year. The telco said the service is already technically ready, but will be available for subscribers once compatible devices are launched.
TDC currently covers 99.5% of Denmark with its 3G and “4G” networks, and ended the third quarter of 2015 with a total of 1.81 million mobile “consumer” subscribers. Corporate mobile subscriptions totaled 761,000 at the end of the period. TDC also provides residential pay-TV and broadband services as well as corporate services in Norway, and mobile and fixed-line services in Sweden.