Sweden Sets €60m Reserve on 700-MHz Spectrum

Sweden’s telco regulator has invited applications for its 700-MHz spectrum auction, setting a reserve of 600 million kroner (€58.5 million).

60 MHz is up for grabs, divided into seven lots: one lot of 2×10 MHz; two lots of 2×5 MHz; and four lots of 5 MHz of supplemental downlink spectrum (SDL). The airwaves come with a coverage obligation, and no single bidder is allowed to bid for more than 40 MHz of the available spectrum.

“The government’s goal is to ensure that by 2023, everyone in Sweden has good access to stable, high quality mobile services wherever they are. The auction in the 700 MHz band is a way to contribute to that goal,” said Dan Sjöblom, director general of the Swedish Post and Telecom Agency (PTS), in a statement last week.

The watchdog said it hopes to ensure at least two winning bidders emerge, but is open to more.

The auction is slated to start on 4 December; interested parties have until 5 November to apply to take part.

Sweden’s 700-MHz auction will be followed up next year by its first 5G auction. The PTS has allocated 300 MHz of nationwide 3.4-GHz-3.8-GHz spectrum. – Total Telecom