News
Lot one raises 44.5 million; second batch of frequencies go on sale on Thursday.
Russia’s MTS this week announced it won spectrum on the first day of the country’s 2.6-GHz auction.
The mobile operator said it picked up a 25-MHz nationwide block of spectrum for 4 billion roubles (€44.5 million). The licence is valid for 10 years.
MTS said it will use the airwaves to augment its holdings in the same band, which it uses for TD-LTE-based mobile broadband services, primarily for dongles and tablets, but also certain smartphones.
MTS won its spectrum block on Tuesday, the first of three days of auctions.
Russia has split its available spectrum – in the 2570 MHz-2620 MHz range – into 82 lots. It sold off the first lot on Tuesday, while lots two to 41 are due to go under the hammer on Thursday.
Lots 42-82 will be auctioned off on 17 February.
Earlier this month regulator Roskomnadzor announced that it had approved eight companies to participate in the auctions. In addition to MTS, major network operators Vimpelcom, MegaFon and Tele2 were also on the list. The regulator also ruled that Your Mobile Technology, P-Telecom, Ekaterinburg-2000, and Vainakh Telecom made the grade.
