Russia’s Telecom Regulator Changes Policy on Wi-Max Frequencies

WASHINGTON, July 9, 2010 – Russia’s telecommunications regulator Roskomnadzor this week reversed its longstanding policy requiring that frequencies allocated for Wimax not be used in the development of other technology. This move comes as Russian Wimax operator Scartel and Russian national operator

WASHINGTON, July 9, 2010 – Russia’s telecommunications regulator Roskomnadzor this week reversed its longstanding policy requiring that frequencies allocated for Wi-Max not be used in the development of other technology. This move comes as Russian Wi-Max operator Scartel and Russian national operator Rostelecom announce their plans to invest in super-speedy LTE (long-term evolution) technology using old radio frequencies, a plan which Roskomnadzor had previously quashed.

In preparation for deployment of the new technology, Scartel has invested roughly $2 billion, reports Telegeography. Scartel’s construction of a commercial LTE network will begin this summer, while Rostelecom plans to launch LTE networks in 2011. Both operators are currently preparing LTE testing areas based on Russian equipment.