The Norwegian regulatory authority Post og Teletilsynet (P&T) has published a notice concerning the allocation of frequency licences in the 3,5 GHz band.

We posted a news item in January, indicating that there was still spectrum available in this band. The call for applications was closed on 31 Jan 2004.

The regulator has analysed the various applications for spectrum and has concluded that more requests for frequency licences have been filed than can be satisfied. The P&T will therefore conduct an auction for these frequency licences.

All parties that have sent in an application earlier are free to bid in the auction (or can elect not to bid), but the auction is not restricted to those parties that filed a previous application. Anyone may enter the bidding.

The details of the auction will be communicated at a later stage. The granting of the frequency licences will occur at the latest in September 2004 (the regulator has a legal obligation to grant a licence no later than eight months after the first application has been filed).

The P&T declines to provide information on the number of parties that have filed an application or the names of the parties in question.