Tele2 Sweden and Telenor Sweden – the country’s second- and third-largest operators, respectively – today announced plans to jointly build a nationwide LTE network and share spectrum for its deployment. Buildout will begin this year, with service launch expected by the end of 2010. No announcement was made on choice of network suppliers. “Telenor and Tele2 will be equal partners in the joint venture,” noted a statement. “The agreement also comprises spectrum sharing in the 900MHz and 2600MHz frequency bands, creating superior conditions for a nationwide 4G network in Sweden.”

Today’s announcement looks set to cement Sweden’s position as one of the pioneering markets in deployment of LTE technology. In January the country’s largest operator, TeliaSonera, announced plans to commercially deploy LTE next year in Stockholm, in partnership with supplier Ericsson. Other markets likely to launch LTE next year include Japan (via NTT DoCoMo) and the US (via Verizon). Norway could also be an early mover, as Telenor has started testing the technology there too. However, the Tele2/Telenor deal is the first joint network agreement for LTE and could pave the way for future similar operator deals in light of potential cost savings.