Sweden’s 1800MHz auction facilitates LTE deployment
Sweden’s high mobile penetration rate is due to the burgeoning 3G sector, stimulated in turn by excellent infrastructure. The market has been enervated by greater consumer take-up for mobile data services as competition has forced down consumer prices. The analogue network was shut down in mid-2007, while the 450MHz and 900MHz frequencies have been switched to digital use to provide a national mobile broadband service. Spectrum in the 800MHz and 1800MHz bands auctioned in 2011 will provide additional capabilities to MNOs extending their LTE footprints. The updated Sweden – Mobile Market Insights, Statistics and Forecasts report provides statistics and analysis on the Swedish mobile market in 2011, including the key regulatory issues, the growth of mobile data services and forecasts for the 3G subscriber base and mobile ARPU to 2015.
The auction of valuable spectrum in the 790-862MHz band in early 2011 was intended by the regulator for wide-area coverage in sparsely populated areas, and thus strict coverage requirements were placed on one of the licences for areas with poor broadband access to help meet the objectives of the government’s Broadband Strategy programme.
To complement this band, the regulator’s recent auction of additional spectrum in the 1800MHz band will help the licensees to develop their LTE footprints. The generous terms of the 25-year licences (no population coverage or network construction requirements) are aimed at encouraging long-term investment. TeliaSonera planned to expand its LTE network to 432 new areas by the end of 2012, covering 663 localities compared to 153 localities in mid-2011, while Net4Mobility (the joint 4G network venture between Tele2 and Telenor), which held existing 1800MHz spectrum, can further develop what it expects to be Sweden’s most extensive 4G network.
Key developments:
Regulator finds that 9% of mobile data users send 87% of traffic; government raises SEK2.05 billion from 800MHz spectrum; shared network of Telenor and H3 upgraded with HSPA+ to 42Mb/s; Net 1 upgrades network with CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rev B technology in the 450MHz band; H3 contracts to provide world first LTE TDD/FDD dual-mode network; Telia plans LTE network expansion to cover 663 localities by the end of 2012; regulator assigns additional 1800MHz spectrum with generous terms; regulator’s 2010 market data, operator data to June 2011.
Companies covered in this report include:
TeliaSonera, Tele2, H3 Sweden, Telenor Sweden, Net 1.
For more information on Sweden’s telecom market, see the updated reports:
Sweden – Mobile Market Insights, Statistics and Forecasts;
Sweden – Key Statistics, Telecom Market and Regulatory Overviews;
Sweden – Broadband Market Insights, Statistics and Forecasts;
Sweden – Digital Economy and Digital TV – Insights, Statistics and Analysis.
We invite your comments: Please click here to comment
Tagged in: LTE, Mobile Data, Net4Mobility, Sweden, TeliaSonera
