BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

07/04/2006

MTS to launch 3G network in Belarus in H2 2007

(Interfax News Agency Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)MINSK. April 5 (Interfax) - OOO Mobile TeleSystems (OOO MTS), a Minsk-based joint venture between the Belarussian state-owned Long Distance Communications (51%) and No.1 Russian cellular provider Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) (RTS: MTSS) (49%), expects to launch a 3G network in the second half of 2007, Vladimir Karpovich, the company's director, told reporters.

The company has asked the Belarussian state frequency regulator to look into developing 3G communications and a UMTS (3G) test zone has been set up in Minsk, Karpovich said.

"We can't yet talk about a commercial launch because we don't have licenses or permits from the frequencies regulator," he said.

The UMTS testing is being carried out in order to determine what sort of demand exists for 3G and a commercial launch based on theresults of these tests should not be expected before July 2007, he said.

Karpovich said that 2G services would still be available to all users after the 3G network has been launched. "This will be a combined network, and 3G will initially be available only in major Belarussian cities," he said.

The MTS joint venture has been providing GSM 900/1800 services in Belarus since the middle of 2002. It had 2.335 million subscribers as of April 1 - 3.8% more than a month previously.

Source:

http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2006/04/07/1549412.htm