The National Commission for Regulating Communications (NCRC) is planning to conduct a competition for the licensing of 3G-frequencies in autumn of this year.
The NCRC is planning to award three licenses, but the competition is currently hampered by a lack of understanding between the Ministry of Defense and the NCRC on the cost of conversion. The Ministry of Defense wants 2,5 bln. UAH (more than 300 mln. USD), but this amount is unacceptable by the Commission and mobile operators.
In the past year, the Government decided to carry out the conversion without paying compensation. However, this solution was blocked by president Viktor Yushchenko. Now maybe the new president Viktor Yanukovich, with “his” Cabinet, will not throw sand into the wheels.
The mobile operators Kyivstar, UMC (TM “MTS-Ukraine”) and Astelit (TM life:)) have already paid tender guarantee (5 mln. USD) for participation in the contest for the UMTS licenses.
