Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Norway to Auction Two UMTS Licenses

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 10 Feb 2003 18:17:26 -0500

Norway to Auction Two UMTS Licenses

Norway's Minister of Transport and Communications said the country will auction
two Universal Mobile Telecommunications System licenses. The so-called 3G
licenses are being offered in an effort to increase competition in Norway's
wireless market. Winning bidders would be expected to offer 30 percent of the
country's population 3G services within six years of receiving a license.

Norway plans to auction pair of UMTS licenses
Fri Feb 7, 7:23 AM ET

OSLO, Norway - The Norwegian government wants to ease the conditions
for building and managing third-generation mobile licenses, or UMTS, the
country's Minister of Transport and Communications said Friday.

In a bid to boost the Nordic country's access to advanced wireless service,
the government will auction off a pair of the licenses to the highest bidder.

UMTS, or Universal Mobile Telecommunications System, is an advanced
form of wireless transmission that some carriers plan to adopt because it
would let users send pictures, documents and more through their mobile
phones.

"I want more independent actors to establish themselves in the Norwegian
mobile market," said Torild Skogsholm. "Increased competition will give the
consumers better and cheaper mobile telephone services."

Originally, there were just four UMTS licenses available, but only two have
been used. Other companies, citing the industry slowdown, have stopped
pursuing the networks.

As a result, Norway has changed the nature of the licenses, requiring
companies to provide coverage to just 30 percent of its 4.5 million residents
within six years of being granted them.

At the last auction of licenses in December 2000, companies were required
to provide coverage to 40 percent of the population within five years.

"The government wants to arrange active competition in the mobile
telephone market. To do this, we have to create conditions to ensure more
competitive actors in mobile market," the minister said.

 http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030207/ap_wo_en_po/eu_fin_norway_umts_mobile_licenses_2