Preparations are underway for the auctioning of the 800 MHz frequency band allocated to 4G networks. The Ministry of Transport and Communications has sent out for comments a draft act on spectrum auction. The purpose is to organise the auction earlier than originally planned. According to the proposal, the process would be launched during 2012: following entry into force of the act, licences would be announced open for application, and the auction would be held in early 2013.
'The licence terms and conditions together with the schedule set forth in the draft mean that by 2019, 4G networks will be available to practically everyone in mainland Finland,' Minister of Housing and Communications Krista Kiuru said.
According to Minister Kiuru, the fourth-generation mobile networks now being created will truly enable wireless use of Internet services in all parts of the country. 4G networks are currently available only in the largest urban areas. Objectives of the auction include extending the availability of mobile broadband, especially in sparsely-populated areas
The 800 MHz frequency band to be auctioned is cost-effective. A single base station can cover a geographical area at least five times larger than that covered by a base station in the 2.6 GHz band auctioned in 2009. The coverage of an 800 MHz base station is also greater than that of the broadband base stations in the 900 MHz band.
