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Other 3G News
Qualcomm and Teleepoch
Enter Into a 3G CDMA Subscriber Unit License Agreement, October
6, 2007
MTN chooses Cambridge Broadband
Networks for multi-service wireless network in Rwanda, October 6,
2007
Brazilian government to
publish 3G bidding rules soon, October 6, 2007
KTF 3G service suffers
from technical problems, October 6, 2007
Argentina’s Personal
lunches 3G service in Rosario, October 6, 2007
Russia has it's first 3G
network, October 6, 2007
AT&T could drop Alcatel-Lucent
as 3G mobile network supplier, October 6, 2007
Enea Extends License Agreement
with ZTE for 3G Handsets, October 2, 2007
LG to unveil premium handsets
in Brazil, October 2, 2007
KTF 3G subscribers doubled
in less than 3 months, October 2, 2007
3G policy in India will
be non-uniform, October 2, 2007
- previous news
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Russian 3G licenses set to be issued by end 2001
date: 30 March 2001, source by: 
totaltele.com
Third-generation mobile licenses could be issued in Moscow and St.
Petersburg at the end of this year, according to a report in the Russian
newspaper Vedomosti.
The Ministry of Communications is said to be working on an award process
and it is thought likely that Russia will not have a competitive auction.
Further, the newspaper indicates that the Ministry will award two UMTS
licenses in each of the seven federal regions.
Alexander Krupnov, president of the Russian national association of
3G operators, is quoted as saying "the doors to 3G are open to all -
whether foreign operators, those Russian operators already in business,
or those who intend to invest in the development of new networks."
There are already three companies interested in offering 3G services
in Moscow, MTS (the Sistema and Deutsche Telekom joint venture), Vimpelcom
(Telenor has a 25% stake) and Sonic Duo (which has Sonera as a backer).
However, there is a stumbling block to a fully open process. The article
goes on to say that the vice president of Vimpelcom, Sergei Avdeeva,
estimates the cost of launching a full-scale 3G service in Moscow at
US$500 million. Obviously, such high costs could be a barrier to entry
for Russian companies and it is reported that Yuri Pavlenko, of the
Ministry of Communications, has called for the exclusion of foreign
operators not partnered with Russian firms.
Aside from cost, the main problem with 3G in Russia is expected to be
the lack of free spectrum. Frequencies will have to be converted from
their present use if sufficient spectrum is to be available.
The cost of a license has yet to be specified. However, it may be that
a license in Moscow will cost around US$3 million, with St. Petersburg
slightly cheaper at US$2 million and regional licenses pegged at around
US$1 million. Companies interested in acquiring a license are said to
already be preparing trials of the ground equipment, with MTS ready
to launch its trial zone, which will have four base stations, in April.
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