Swedes See 3G Leeway

Swedish regulator Nils Gunnar Billinger has told national newspaper Svenska Dagbladet that it is legally possible to change the conditions of a 3G license, further fueling the hopes of all carriers involved in Europe's 3G process that some leeway might be on offer from telecom watchdogs.

The comment follows Orange Sweden's request for an extra three years to build its UMTS network in Sweden (see Orange Squeezed in Sweden).

Officials at the National Post and Telecom Agency (PTS) will begin examining Orange's plea for clemency today and will announce a decision in October.

No doubt the closest observers of any decisions will be the other 3G license holders in Sweden that are encountering the same market conditions as Orange -- Hi3G Access AB, Europolitan Vodafone AB, and Tele2 AB.

— Ray Le Maistre, European Editor, Unstrung
http://www.unstrung.com