Relatives of MTS on guards of LTE

Relatives of MTS on guards of LTE
"Vympelcom", "MegaFon" and "Rostelecom" cannot start in some cities of a network of the fourth generation of mobile communication at frequencies of 2,5-2,7 GHz


Competitors of MTS have difficulties with start of the LTE networks in 15 large cities. The reason for that – the MTS related companies which render services of mobile television at the same frequencies.

"Vympelcom", "MegaFon" and "Rostelecom" cannot start in some cities of a network of the fourth generation of mobile communication (4G LTE) at the frequencies of 2,5-2,7 GHz which are given out to them in 2011. About it "Sheets" were told by the employee of one of profile departments. Information was confirmed by people, relatives to two of these companies. According to them, problems arise in 15 large cities: Yekaterinburg, Nizhni Tagil, Rostov-on-Don, Taganrog, Nizhny Novgorod, Arkhangelsk, Severodvinsk, Ivanov, Kaluga, Izhevsk, Ryazan, Tver, Voronezh, Norilsk and Saratov. Frequency of 2,5-2,7 GHz are occupied there by MMDS operators (MMDS – system of mobile telecasting), interlocutors of "Sheets" explain, and these operators are affiliated with other mobile network operator which too won in 2011 frequencies for LTE – MTS. These are the former divisions "Comstar-OTS" (it is attached to MTS in 2010).

In September, 2011. The state commission on radio frequencies (GKRCh) decided to hold competition on the frequency of 791-862 MHz and 2,5-2,7 GHz for construction of the LTE networks. However, frequencies of the lower range were generally occupied (military and aviation means of communication worked at them), and top MMDS operators used. Reduced sharpness of the second problem of GKRCh, having stopped giving out new frequencies for a MMDS broadcasting and having limited the term of work of the acting MMDS operators – they can provide services till August 1, 2016. – winners of competition had to agree with the special users occupying the frequency of 791-862 MHz, operators.

Frequencies won MTS, "Vympelcom", "MegaFon" and "Rostelecom". They decided to be engaged in common in conversion of that range which is in hands of military, and also gradually to agree with MMDS operators about purchase of their business and clearing (refarming) of frequencies under 4G. For this work operators created special association "LTE Union". He already repeatedly reported on successful release of MMDS frequencies in the certain cities. Initially the MMDS networks worked in 39 subjects of Federation, in 2/3 of them the refarming is finished or proceeds, tells a source in "LTE Union". But while all range of MMDS intended for LTE with the operators working in this standard is released yet there are negotiations, the executive director of "LTE Union" Gulnara Hasyanova recognizes. It does not disclose details of these negotiations.

Representatives of "Vympelcom", "MegaFon" and "Rostelecom" confirm that difficulties with start of LTE in certain regions at frequencies of 2,5-2,7 GHz are. The day before the general director of "Vympelcom" Mikhail Slobodin reported that start of a network in Nizhny Novgorod was necessary to postpone the companies, but did not explain why. That difficulties are connected with MMDS, operators do not deny. The representative of "Rostelecom" Valery Kostarev specifies that it is about MMDS networks of MTS, and adds that "Rostelecom" looks for ways of a solution. "MegaFon", according to his press secretary Olesya Yaremenko, counts on the termination of operation of the majority of the MMDS networks until the end of 2016 though in the certain cities thanks to special technical solutions the operator manages to combine work of LTE with MMDS.

The high-ranking source in one of operators says that "LTE Union" already repeatedly tried to agree with MTS about "offsetting" it losses from premature termination of work of MMDS networks, but that asks for it too much. MTS also appealed in GKRCh to allocate it in exchange additional frequencies in the top range, knows a source. The initiative of GKRCh to play at competition additional frequencies in the range of 2570-2620 MHz for work of the LTE networks was connected with it. The representative of MTS Dmitry Solodovnikov does not speak, in the how many cities the mobile television of MTS works, but promises that in process of modernization of television infrastructure and transition to the DVB-C technology the company, as well as other MMDS operators, will release a range for development of mobile ShPD.

Manage to agree

At the last meeting of GKRCh planned to recommend to Roskomnadzor to create competitive conditions so that on winners of competitions the duty to agree with present users of the frequencies of 2,5-2,7 GHz – MMDS operators – about their voluntary early release laid down. Advantage in the auction on the federal license LTE will be got "by the persons capable to influence the operators MMDS", the letter of the member of GKRCh, the deputy minister of economic development Sergey Belyakov to the chairman of GKRCh, the Minister of Communications Nikolay Nikiforov of March 24 (the copy of the letter is at the disposal of "Sheets") said. But while competition was not announced.



Elizabeth Sergina
Sheets
 No. 86 of 16.05.14