Ukraine’s telecoms regulator NCCIR has announced plans to issue three 3G spectrum licences after the military agreed to release 90 MHz in the 2.1 GHz band.
Alexander Zhivotovsky, head of the regulator, said that there will be no restrictions on…
Ukraine’s telecoms regulator NCCIR has announced plans to issue three 3G spectrum licences after the military agreed to release 90 MHz in the 2.1 GHz band.
Alexander Zhivotovsky, head of the regulator, said that there will be no restrictions on operators with Russian ownership – market leaders Kyivstar and MTS – participating in the auction.
Operators that win licences will be able to use the spectrum immediately in the western and central parts of the country. However, they will not be able to cover the east for at least one or two years as Ukraine’s ministry of defence still requires the airwaves in the conflict zone.
In July, Ukraine’s president Petro Poroshenko issued a decree stating the licences would be distributed before 30 October. Zhivotovsky did not announce the exact date of the tender. The NCCIR is set to have its next meeting regarding the auction on 2 September.
VimpelCom subsidiary Kyivstar and MTS’ unit in the country are the country’s two largest operators, with Turkcell’s operator Life a distant third.
