Iceland Announced Plans for 3G License Tender
The Post and Telecom Administration in Iceland has sent out an invitation for a tender for the right to use certain frequencies for 3G mobile services. The tender procedure, which is based on a "beauty contest" approach, will be conducted in accordance with Icelandic law, Act 8/2005 on Third Generation Mobile Telephony. Up to four licences will be assigned, and the tender will close on March 12th.
Four technically identical frequency blocks in the UMTS frequency band are offered, all covering the whole country and each providing 2 x 15 MHz FDD and 5 MHz TDD, summing up to 35 MHz each:
- 1920-1935MHz / 2110-2125MHz and 1915-1920MHz
- 1935-1950MHz / 2125-2140MHz and 1900-1905MHz
- 1950-1965MHz / 2140-2155MHz and 1905-1910MHz
- 1965-1980MHz / 2155-2170MHz and 1910-1915MHz
Minimum demands are set for population coverage within certain areas and speed of network construction. The country is divided into four areas and shall the IMT-2000 service reach 60% inhabitants of each of them. The areas are:
- The metropolitan area
- The West-Iceland, Westfjords and the western part of North-Iceland
- The eastern part of North-Iceland and Eastern-Iceland
- South-Iceland and Sudurnes in Southwest-Iceland
The speed of coverage shall be in four steps:
- T1: 1 year and 6 months to reach 40% of inhabitants of all Iceland. Free choice of areas.
- T2: 2 years and 6 months to reach 30% of inhabitants of each area, a), b), c) and d).
- T3: 4 years to reach 60% of all inhabitants of each area, a), b), c) and d).
- T4: 5 years and 6 months to reach 60% - 75% of the summarised number of inhabitats in areas b), c) and d).
The duration of the right to use the frequencies is 15 years per each block."
Posted to the site on 12th January 2007