3G service licenses up for grabs in Russia

Russian Deputy Minister for Communications Boris Antoniuk said the tender for licenses to provide third-generation (3G) communication services will be open to cellular operators and wireline service providers alike, as well as to investors without a history of investments in the telecom business. As he put it, the main criterion for selecting the successful bidders will be the extent to which their bids comply with the key tender terms. Three 3G service licenses will be offered by tender in the immediate future. The date has not been announced yet. However, Minister for Communications Leonid Reiman said previously that Russia would have a functioning G3 network by summer 2007.