Quiz Entry - updated: 2026.07.14
How did LTE arrive in Switzerland — auction, pilots, and commercial launches?
Switzerland auctioned its mobile frequencies technology-neutrally in February 2012 for about 1 billion CHF; Swisscom launched the first commercial LTE network on November 29, 2012, followed by Orange (today Salt) and Sunrise in 2013.
The 2012 auction:
- February 2012: all mobile frequencies awarded in one technology-neutral auction (operators may deploy any standard in any band)
- Total proceeds: about 1 billion CHF
- Bands auctioned: 800, 900, 1800, 2100, and 2600 MHz — split between Swisscom, Sunrise, and Salt (e.g., 800 MHz: 2×10 MHz each)
The deployment timeline:
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| September 2010 | Swisscom switches on the first LTE test network in Grenchen (2600 MHz) |
| November 2011 | Swisscom LTE pilot project in Davos (1800 MHz) |
| November 29, 2012 | First commercial LTE network (Swisscom) |
| May 28, 2013 | Orange (today Salt) launches LTE at 113 locations |
| June 19, 2013 | Sunrise opens its LTE network commercially |
| June 16, 2014 | Swisscom first to introduce LTE Advanced in Switzerland |
Why "technology-neutral" matters: Earlier licenses were tied to a specific technology (e.g., "this band is for GSM only"). Technology-neutral licensing lets operators re-farm old spectrum for new standards — 900 MHz once used for GSM can carry LTE or 5G today without a new license.
Go deeper:
Spectrum auction (Wikipedia) — the mechanism behind Switzerland's 2012 sale and what technology-neutral licensing lets operators do.