Mobile coverage
In general, the mobile coverage in Denmark is good. There are, however, still local areas that need improved coverage. It is a government priority to improve the mobile and broadband coverage in those parts of the country, where the coverage is insufficient today.
In May 2018, all parties of the Danish Parliament entered into a new telecommunications policy agreement, which current telecommunication policy rests on. As part of the agreement, new coverage obligations were adopted applicable to mobile operators, in order to improve mobile coverage across Denmark.
A main element of the telecommunication policy agreement of 2018 is the ambition that Denmark should be at the very forefront of the rollout of digital infrastructure, implementation of new technologies and utilisation of the potential brought along by ongoing developments.
In March 2021, the Danish Energy Agency carried out an auction of the 1500 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz, 3.5 GHz and 26 GHz frequency bands. The assignment of frequencies were nationwide and on a service- and technology-neutral basis.
The overall objective of the auction was to promote good mobile coverage – especially in sparsely populated areas and in areas where mobile coverage is insufficient. It was also an objective to accelerate the rollout of 5G, which is already in process across the country, as the expectation is that 5G will have great economic importance to society and enable the green solutions of the future.
In line with these objectives, ambitious coverage obligations have been set in the 2100 MHz and 3.5 GHz licenses. The coverage obligations in the 2100 MHz licenses aim to improve the availability of voice and mobile broadband services in areas where the current availability is insufficient. Coverage obligations in the 3.5 GHz licenses aim to expedite the rollout of equipment used for 5G across the country. Finally, part of the 3.5 GHz frequency band is subject to a leasing obligation intended to enable stakeholders, such as enterprises, public institutions and universities, to lease frequencies from the providers, for the establishment of private 5G networks.
Broadband coverage
Denmark is at the forefront in the EU, when it comes to distribution of broadband in general. The national goal is that all households and enterprises should have access to high-speed broadband with speeds of at least 100 Mbps download and 30 Mbps upload.
96 pct. of all households and enterprises currently (2021) have access to 100/30 Mbps.
The Danish Energy Agency estimates that by the mid-2020s 99 pct. will have access to data speeds of at least 100/30 Mbps. This is mainly due to an intensive rollout of high-speed broadband by a number of broadband providers on purely market-based terms. It is a priority for the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities to increase the broadband coverage further.
At the website Tjekditnet.dk, you can see the broadband coverage for all addresses in Denmark. You can also get an overview of the companies that can supply your address with broadband as well as the download and upload speed available at the address.
The National Broadband Fund
The National Broadband Fund was introduced in 2016 as a supplement to the market-based distribution of broadband coverage. The Fund allows local communities to apply for financial support for broadband projects. It mainly targets rural areas with insufficient broadband coverage and no immediate prospect of attaining improved coverage through the market-based rollout.
The yearly Danish Finance Act authorises the Fund. The parties behind the Finance Act of 2021 have decided to allocate DKK 100 million to the National Broadband Fund in 2021.
To read about the application process for financial support through the National Broadband Fund, please visit the website of the Danish Energy Agency here.