MOSCOW—Cdma2000 technology based on the International Mobile Telecommunications-Multi Carrier (IMT-MC) standard has made the first step toward acquiring federal status in Russia.
In March, the Communications Ministry approved “general technical requirements for equipment of federal systems of wireless mobile communications in the 450 MHz band operating the IMT-MC (cdma2000) standard.” The document regulates the stages of trial network construction.
Now the standard needs to have the federal status finally fixed in the ministerial “concept for mobile wireless network development.” That will be possible only if test trials yield a positive result.
Cdma2000 trial networks are being tested by Moscow Cellular Communications (MCC) and St. Petersburg-based Delta Telecom, two NMT 450 MHz carriers.
In addition, former Kubanelektrosvyaz from the southern Krasnodar region—now called Yuzhnaya Telecommunications Company (YuTK)—which decided to sell its entire interest in carrier Kuban GSM to Mobile TeleSystems (MTS), said it plans to receive a cdma2000 license. YuTK Director General Vladimir Gorbachev said the company wants to launch a third cdma2000 trial zone in Russia.
The Uralvestcom NMT 450 MHz carrier from the Urals said it is also eyeing the new technology.
