Osnova Telecom will be able to test a 4G LTE communication network in six major Russian cities after a court verdict resolved a dispute with a government radio wave regulator.
The Moscow Arbitration Court sided with the company on Tuesday, saying that the Main Radio Frequencies Center had no right to change its opinion on the electromagnetic compatibility of Osnova's equipment.
A representative of the Federal Mass Media Inspection Service, which operates the MRFC, confirmed the verdict to Vedomosti.
The center had previously given its approval to Osnova to build the network for civilian and military use. However it switched its verdict this spring after new Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu reversed the decision of his predecessor and said that his ministry did not need the company's services.
Without the expert opinion of the MRFC, the company could not receive specific frequencies from the media inspection service and was unable launch a commercial 4G network, a faster form of telecommunication that is replacing current 3G networks.
The ruling opens the road for Osnova to receive radio frequencies from the mass media regulator and launch the commercial use of the 4G LTE network it has already built in Ivanovo, Yaroslavl, Vladimir, Saransk, Oryol and Belgorod.
Osnova has already invested over 6 billion rubles ($182 million) constructing the network and plans to expand to 40 Russian cities.
A representative of the Federal Mass Media Inspection Service said the MRFC will appeal the ruling.
