Mobile Content Russia

Russian WiMAX operator Yota said on Friday that it is to switch to LTE technology in a significant blow to the WiMAX camp. Reuters reports that Yota plans to spend US$100 million rolling out LTE networks in five Russian cities in 2010, while total investment is estimated at up to US$2 billion. It plans to launch LTE in Moscow and Russia's second city of Saint Petersburg at the end of 2011.

Russian WiMAX provider Yota announces reaching the operational breakeven point.

This benchmark has been reached by Yota in less than 5 month after the start of the commercial operation of Mobile WiMAX network in Moscow and Saint Petersburg (June 1, 2009). In Ufa the network commercial operation has started on October 12, 2009. Early October the subscriber base exceeded the point of 200 thousand active users, while daily connection rate is 2000.

MTS, the largest cellular network operator in Russia and CIS, has announced the full-scale roll out of UMTS/HSPA (3G) network in all regions of Armenia, one of the CIS countries. Today the third generation network is operating in 50 cities of the country.

First VivaCell-MTS 3G networks were launched in April 2009 in three major Armenian cities – Yerevan, Gyumri, and Vanadzor. The carrier is building a combined 2G/3.5G network in Armenia, using the current platforms as base stations without holdup or significant reconfiguration of GSM network.

MegaFon Caucasian branch has announced the launch of 3G network in Chechnya Republic. The carrier invested about 500 million rubles (17 million dollars) in building the network. Now 116 3G base stations operate in the republic, - altogether they provide high quality radio coverage on large scale. New 3G services will be available for all subscribers in 3G coverage area with UMTS handsets or special USB-modem.

MTS, the largest cellular network operator in Russia and CIS, has announced that MTS Uzbekistan, 100% subsidiary of JSC Mobile TeleSystems, received authorization from Uzbekistan Communication Agency for using the existing company's frequency range in building LTE network in Uzbekistan.

MTS, the largest cellular network operator in Russia and CIS, has announced test launch of 3G network in Khabarovsk. Any MTS subscriber in Khabarovsk can now test carrier's 3G services. When MTS 3G network is commercially launched, 3G features will automatically become available to all MTS subscribers in the city.

Users can get a test SIM card with 3G service subscription and free 1GB data at any MTS store in Khabarovsk. Also those who want to use high speed internet features in mobile 3G networks should have a handset or a dongle with UMTS/HSDPA support and be in MTS 3G network coverage area. MTS 3G network provides theoretical maximum download rates up to 3.6 Mbs.

MTS, the largest cellular network operator in Russia and CIS, announced commercial launch of the first 3G network in Russian city Perm covering the business center of the city and airport Bolshoye Savino. Perm is a city and administrative center of Perm Krai, Russia. It is situated on the banks of the Kama River, in the European part of Russia near the Ural Mountains. Perm's 2007 estimated population was 990,200.

Users of MTS 3G network in Perm can use mobile internet at speeds up to 3.6 Mbit/s. MTS is the first operator to roll out 3G network in Perm.

MTS 3G subscribers in Perm will be able to make video calls free of charge till September 12, 2009. In addition, from September 4 to September 12 MTS 3G subscribers can use free bundles of internet data. Subscribers signed up to MTS Konnekt and MTS Konnekt-2 data plans will get 100 Mb of internet data in 3G network. Subscribers of other popular data plans will get 30 Mb of 3G data.

Russian WiMax network operator Yota (Scartel) announced that the number of its subscribers has exceeded 100 000 active users who pay for data.

Since the commercial launch of Yota in Moscow and St.-Petersburg on 1st of June 2009, operator has registered about 60,000 new subscribers in addition to those who stayed with the carrier after testing the network in the two cities. At the end of June, Yota network was rolled out in test mode in Ufa where it will be trialed till September 30. In a month after beginning of handsets official sale, the number of subscriptions in Ufa reached 5,000 people.

MTS, the largest cellular network operator in Russia and CIS, announced commercial launch of 3G networks in largest cities of Kuznetsk Basin – Kemerovo and Novokuznetsk.

Now when 3G networks are rolled out MTS subscribers in Kemerovo and Novokuznetsk can use mobile internet with speeds up to 3.6 MBit/s.

Subscribers who want to use 3G services should have a 3G handset, subscription to GPRS service and stay in MTS 3G network coverage area. Registration of users in 3G network is automatic and free of charge.

VimpelCom (which operates under the Beeline trademark) announced commercial launch of mobile 3G network in Lipetsk. 3G networks support all services provided in 2G networks and some additional features such as high data transfer rate, comparable with broadband internet access (up to 7.2 MB per second).

Now Beeline UMTS network is covering central sales office area and two other districts of the city. More districts are expected to be covered by the end of 2009.