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Mobile, Broadband, Markets, Russia, CEE: Russia
has the potential to become a world leader in advanced mobile communications if
it follows a transparent and objective approach to licensing third-generation
spectrum, according to the GSM Association.
The mobile sector in Russia
has achieved extraordinary growth over the past three years - the number of
mobile connections has more than quadrupled to 146 million - thanks to a
government policy that has allowed market forces to thrive.
The Russian government recently announced that it will
tender 3G licences in the 2GHz spectrum band early next year. A smooth
licensing and rollout of 3G networks would enable Russians to use their
handsets to access the Internet at high speeds, download video and audio clips
and tap into a host of other mobile broadband services, as well as to connect
desktops and laptops to the Internet using wireless broadband.
“Russia has already achieved more than 100% mobile penetration thanks to
the huge popularity of wireless communications among Russians and the
government’s good work in fostering a market-driven mobile sector based on
strong competition,” declares Tom Phillips, Chief Government & Regulatory
Affairs Officer at the GSMA. “A transparent 3G licensing process, with
well-thought-out and clear rules for the bidders and based on thorough
consultation with all stakeholders in the mobile sector, will give the industry
the confidence to invest in new mobile broadband infrastructure that will help
fuel social and economic development.”
The GSM Association recently hosted a workshop in Moscow on 3G licensing in
cooperation with the 3G Association of Russia
and supported by the Ministry of Communication and Information Technologies of
the Russian Federation.
Greeting the participants in the workshop, Boris Antonyuk,
Deputy Minister of Information Technologies and Communications of the Russian Federation, said: “Implementation of new generation services helps to develop
an infocommunication society in Russia.”
He also noted the wide-ranging activity of the GSM Association and the 3G
Association in the field of networks implementation.
Alexander Krupnov, President of the 3G Association,
emphasised the importance of interaction among international organisations. He
said that the workshop demonstrated the importance of international experience
in facilitating the development of new mobile services in Russia.
He also pointed to the 3G Association’s increasing role in the development of
new mobile services in Russia and noted that the Association recently registered to change its
name to Infocommunication Services Market Participants Union (Infocommunication
Union).
Other participants at the workshop included senior
executives from Russian mobile operators and representatives of research and
scientific centres. Frontier Economics, the international consultancy,
presented a study on spectrum auctions and tenders which stresses the
importance of a dialogue between government and the private sector to ensure
that the licensing process encourages investment in new mobile infrastructure.
* The Third
Generation Telecommunication Networks Operators Association (3G Association)
was founded in December 1999. Its objective is co-ordinating the activities of
parties involved in establishing and developing perspective mobile networks
such as 3G networks in Russia. It comprises five Russian
cellular networks operators: Delta Telecom (SkyLink), MegaFon, Mobile
TeleSystems, Moskovskaya Sotovaya Svyaz (SkyLink) and VimpelCom (Beeline).
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Date: 9 - 11 July 2008