Many of us have been waiting for the Swedish 5G auction with great interest. Unfortunately, the auction has been postponed further due to the appeal from Huawei and Hi3G.
It was a pretty big deal when Huawei and Hi3G were denied to take part in the bidding of the new 5G network in Sweden. And it was perhaps not so unexpected when both actors chose to appeal the decision.
The legal process that is now underway has delayed the entire auction for 5G, which would otherwise have taken place in early November. Something that is negative for Swedish companies and consumers. Although there are very strong opinions about 5G, especially from private consumers, one must not forget its importance for Sweden’s progress in the technical markets.
5G affects Sweden’s competitiveness
We in Sweden have long been pioneers in new technology and technical solutions are a large part of our exports. Not least when it comes to Dstny’s core business, cloud-based telephony for companies. There, we were very early in adopting the new technology, which has paved the way for us to now be able to help other parts of Europe to switch to a cloud-based telephony solution.
The fact that we are now lagging behind when it comes to 5G may mean that we lose some of the confidence that the rest of the world has in our technical infrastructure. 5G will play an important role when it comes to Sweden’s competitiveness around the world.
Of course, security is important
On the other hand, we can be grateful that this process is done with care as it can affect Sweden if actors, with a lack of security, are allowed to take part in the gigantic amount of information sent via the internet today.
Right now, it is unclear when the auction will be able to start because PTS awaits until the Court of Appeal’s review, regarding inhibition and appeal, is complete. At Dstny, we are waiting with excitement and hope that the auction can start as soon as possible.