Lycamobile extends Telenor Sweden network access deal to include 4G data services

Mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) Lycamobile boosted the coverage of its business in Sweden to almost 100 per cent of the population by adding 4G technology to its service in the country.

In an emailed statement Lycamobile announced it has extended an existing agreement with Telenor Sweden to include 4G data services. The expansion of the contract, in turn, has boosted Lycamobile’s coverage footprint to 99.5 per cent of the Swedish population.

The MVNO said that adding 4G data services to its existing Swedish services means subscribers will be able to take advantage of growing investment in high-speed mobile internet infrastructure by the country’s mobile network operators (MNOs). Customers are increasingly demanding access to fast, high-quality, data services, the company noted.

Lyca Group chairman Subaskaran Allirajah said the expanded network access agreement with Telenor Sweden “demonstrates our commitment to making it easier for our customers to connect with their communities and loved ones across Sweden and the rest of the world.”

The company stated that offering access to 4G in Sweden forms part of a broader strategy to enrich the experience of customers in the country and other parts of the Nordics.

Lycamobile bills itself as the world’s largest MVNO, with services operating in 21 countries globally. European and Nordic countries account for the majority of the MVNO’s business, with operations in 17 markets including the big five countries forming Western Europe, Ireland, Macedonia, Poland, Denmark and Norway.

A recent Telenor earnings report shows that mobile revenues in Sweden declined from NOK2.4 billion (€264 million/$293 million) in the third quarter of 2015 to NOK2.2 billion in the recent quarter. The operator said the bulk of the drop was due to changes in the way it accounts for sales of mobile handsets through external channels, and slight decreases in mobile subscription and traffic revenues when measured in local currencies.