The Finnish regulator has awarded additional spectrum frequencies suitable for LTE to the country’s three largest mobile operators, TeliaSonera, Elisa and DNA. In a statement, Finland’s Ministry of Transport and Communications said it has awarded the so-called 4G frequencies in the 1.8GHz band, claiming the move makes Finland the first country in Europe to allow the use of LTE technology at such low frequencies. The regulator said that 1.8GHz means that LTE networks can be rolled out over a substantially wider coverage and at lower cost than 2.6GHz (the band typically being allocated to LTE in Europe) because it requires fewer base stations.

A spokesperson at the ministry told Reuters that the three operators would not require additional licenses to rollout their new networks. The operators already operate 3G networks in the country, in some cases using 900MHz spectrum rather than 2.1GHz, the band usually used for 3G. Neighbouring Sweden awarded LTE spectrum in the 2.6GHz band last year. Click here for Wireless Intelligence’s recent ‘Snapshot’ analysis on Sweden’s LTE rollout.