Allowed operators sharing of base stations

Allowed operators sharing of base stations
The Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation prepared rules of sharing of base stations by communications operators


The Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation prepared rules of sharing of base stations by communications operators (the so-called RAN-Sharing mode) and relevant requirements for subscriber devices. Sharing of bases will allow to lower costs of construction of cellular networks, explained in department.

As reported to "News" in the press service of the ministry, a number of regulations, necessary for RAN-Sharing, already passed necessary registration in the Ministry of Justice. The draft of requirements to subscriber LTE devices (the standard of cellular communication of the fourth generation) still is on registration in Ministry of Justice.

– Sharing of base stations considerably will cut down expenses of operators on construction of infrastructure. For example, if one base station is used by two operators, it will reduce expenses of everyone on 50%, – the head of information and analytical agency TelecomDaily Denis Kuskov speaks.

Use of one base station at once several operators actually, for example, for reduction in cost of a covering cellular communication of the sparsely populated district. Let's remind, in 2012 Vladimir Putin signed the order about ensuring uninterrupted cellular communication on key highways of the country. According to the text of the order, it is necessary including for movement safety.

At the end of 2013 the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications and the Big Four of mobile network operators reported on providing with mobile communication 11 thousand km of key highways – transport corridors "the North – the South" and "the West – the East" (from border with Belarus to Vladivostok and from border with Finland to the Black Sea coast). Costs of communications operators of this project made about 1,2 billion rubles.

As told "News" in the press service of MTS, thus for reduction in cost of the project operators agreed about sharing of infrastructure. But "socialized" only antenna and mast constructions on which each of the companies established the base stations.

– Today there are technologies allowing two and more operators to share one base station. It gives considerable economy, – the president of Association of regional communications operators Yury Dombrovsky tells. – At the same time this technology in Russia is not put into practice yet.

As reported in the press service of "Vympelcom", RAN-Sharing is interesting to this company.

– This technology will allow to save costs of operators of construction and operation of a network that finally positively influences client experience, – noted in the press service. – In our opinion, potentially more interesting possibilities of "LTE Schering", as regarding GSM at all operators a covering already approximately identical are represented at the moment.

Certainly, except technical and legal capability for creation of the general infrastructure the cellular companies need still desire to agree. It is known that in 2011 "Big Four" signed the agreement on joint creation of a network of the fourth generation. It was supposed that this network will be constructed by the Skartel company. But this project was not fated to be realized. Participants of consortium did not agree about the price.



Alexander Bogdanov
online news
 No. of 22.05.14