Support The Moscow Times!

4G Tenders Planned for This Year

Tenders for frequencies for fourth-generation communications networks, or LTE, could be announced in the second half of the year, Communications and Press Minister Igor Shchyogolev said Thursday.

It depends on whether the big three mobile operators and Rostelecom manage to draw up "a digestible scheme" for converting military frequencies, he said.

In late December, the State Commission for Radio Frequencies authorized Mobile TeleSystems, VimpelCom, MegaFon and Rostelecom to form a consortium to research the LTE frequency spectrum and prepare proposals for conversion, which will be reviewed at a commission meeting in July. Other operators might join the consortium.

Once the research is complete, the frequencies will be tendered. The winners will conclude contracts with the Defense Ministry to convert the frequencies.

"The procedure won't be the same as in the past. … We are announcing the tender immediately. The winners will have to pay the costs of conversion, of manufacturing equipment for the military, and they may immediately begin to offer communications services to the extent they free up the frequencies," he said.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more