11:00 AM -- Swedish regulator PTS has awarded five licenses in the 2.6 GHz band in an auction that totaled SEK 2.1 billion (US$349 million). This is prime 4G spectrum that can be used for WiMax or LTE. (See Want Swedish Spectrum? and Analysys Ponders 2.6 GHz.)

Intel Capital walked away with a 50 MHz block of time division duplex (TDD) spectrum that is suitable for WiMax for $26 million.

The rest of the spectrum was allocated to frequency division duplex (FDD), which is the type of spectrum that LTE needs, and licenses were awarded to four other operators: Telia Company won 2x20 MHz of FDD spectrum for $94 million; Telenor Sweden paid $89 million for 2x20MHz of FDD spectrum; Tele2 AB (Nasdaq: TLTO) paid $91 million for 2x20 MHz; and Hi3G Access AB won 2x10 MHz of FDD spectrum for $49 million. (See TeliaSonera Gets 4G Spectrum and Telenor Bags 4G Spectrum.)

Following the auction results, Ericsson AB (Nasdaq: ERIC) announced that it was ready to deliver high-speed packet access (HSPA) and LTE equipment in the 2.6 GHz band. (See Ericsson Touts 2.6GHz Abilities.)

The U.K. is next in line to auction 2.6 GHz spectrum. (See Brits Kickstart Broadband Spectrum Offer, Ofcom Confirms Spectrum Auction, UK WiMax Faces Spectrum Fight, and Ofcom Lawsuit Looms.)

— Michelle Donegan, European Editor, Unstrung