5G licences for Åland to Elisa, Telia and Ålands Telekommunikation

The Government has granted network licences for Åland Islands in the 3.5 GHz band. Applications for a licence were submitted by three operators: Elisa Oyj, Telia Finland Oyj and Ålands Telekommunikation ab. A licence was granted to each of them, informed the Ministry for Transport and Communication in a press release.

According to the Finnish Government, the aim of the network licences is to facilitate the construction of the first 5G networks in Åland. The licences were granted for a period from 1 March 2020 to 31 December 2033 and each applicant received the same amount of frequency capacity.

In December 2019, applications were invited for four network licences in the frequency band. Since there were three licence applications, a part of the frequency band was not allocated for licensed use. The unallocated frequencies can be used, for example, in testing and research activities.

The licences for mainland Finland in the 3.5 GHz band were granted in autumn 2018 through an auction procedure to DNA, Elisa and Telia.  They are valid until 31 December 2033.