The National Commission for the State Regulation of Electronic Communications, Radio Frequency Spectrum and Postal Services (NCEC) has held a tender for the sale of lots for obtaining licenses for the development of 4G communications in the 2100, 2300, 2600 MHz bands.
As a result of the auction, lifecell offered the highest price for lot 2, which grants the right to use 2*5 MHz radio frequencies in the 1935-1940/2125-2130 MHz bands in 25 regions of Ukraine. The total cost of the license for the lot is UAH 463 million.
An important range
“In this tender, the second lot was the most strategically important for us. First, thanks to our existing advantage in the number of frequencies per subscriber, the acquisition of additional 2*5 MHz will allow lifecell to increase network capacity in a short time,” says Mykhailo Shelemba, CEO of DVL Group, which includes lifecell.
According to him, subscribers will now have faster Internet, a stable connection and the ability to use the network without compromising quality even when many people are connected to it.
In addition, these frequencies are located next to the operator’s main band. “This means that we will be able to use them as efficiently as possible without the lengthy construction and re-equipment of our sites, which would have been required for 2300 and 2600 TDD frequencies,” adds Shelemba.
The technical compatibility with lifecell’s existing infrastructure ensures an efficient transition to the full use of the frequencies and brings the launch of services with new features for users closer.
Subscriber base growth
As of the end of Q3 2024, lifecell recorded an 8.8% year-on-year growth in its active subscriber base, reaching 9.9 million subscribers. In addition, the operator has the largest share of smartphones – 84.6% of lifecell subscribers use smartphones and consume an average of 12 GB of traffic per month.
Therefore, the operator notes the need to invest in frequency resources and increase network capacity, which is most relevant for densely populated regions and large cities with the highest traffic consumption.
The acquired radio frequencies in the 1935-1940/2125-2130 MHz bands will allow lifecell to significantly accelerate the development of services for its growing subscriber base, which consumes more and more traffic and uses more and more Internet-based services.
In preparation for the expansion of its 4G network, lifecell has already started upgrading its base stations in key cities and towns of Ukraine to ensure that the equipment can operate in the new frequency band.
