RF communication operators to report on LTE networks September 8

MOSCOW, August 26 (Itar-Tass) -- The question of building the fourth
generation high-speed networks in Russia, which will use the current LTE
standard will be considered at a meeting of the State Commission for Radio
Frequencies / SCR / on September 8, Russia's Ministry of Communications
reports on its site.
A consortium of operators, which includes MTS, Megaphone and
Rostelecom, began to explore the possibility of building LTE networks to
comply with the decision made by the SCR in December, 2010. By July 1, the
companies submitted to the Commission results of their studies, and the
commission, in its turn, studied them for one and a half months. The
ministry of communications reported that the construction of LTE networks
will be done in a dual-band mode in the frequency bands of 791-862 MHz and
2500-2690 MHz.
"At the same time, communication services using radio frequency band
791-862 MHz will be provided on licenses basis, which will be obtained
over trades," the ministry noted, adding that a successful bidder will
work on conversion of radio frequency spectrum, as well as implement
refarming /changing technology for use of frequencies/ frequency bands.
The first step in refarming of the radio spectrum for introduction of LTE
will be to redistribute frequency resources in Moscow.
Communication operators and the ministry mentioned many times that it
is necessary to develop fourth-generation networks based on LTE, which
provide faster Internet access than currently used Wi-MAX. LTE is the most
promising standard of communication networks of the fourth generation. It
allows exchanging information at speeds of several hundred megabits, which
is ten times faster than the third-generation networks. There are very few
networks of the kind in the world now, and it is the 4G - Wi-MAX standard
which is being developed. The first commercial LTE network was opened in
Stockholm and Oslo by TeliaSonera in December 2009.
The SCR meeting will discuss several issues relating to satellite
communications. For example, construction of radio networks GSM-1800 on
board the river and sea vessels and railway transport, where satellite
communications will be used.
"This decision will provide services even in areas where even mobile
operators do not have network connection," the ministry of communications
said. In addition, the commission will discuss use of ground stations for
satellite communications in the frequency range of 13/14/11/12 GHz, and in
the Ka-band.