MOSCOW-The biggest CDMA IS-95 carrier in Russia operating in the 800 MHz band launched an offensive against the Communications Ministry, which has restricted its development since the standard first appeared in the country.
Personal Communications (SONET), which has been fruitlessly defending itself from ministerial mobility restrictions and an ordered ouster from the 800 MHz band by 2010, evidently decided the best defense was offense and filed a lawsuit accusing the regulator of unlawfully issuing frequencies to a competitor.
In 2001, the ministry provided frequencies to GSM carrier Sonic Duo, which is the Moscow-based stronghold of nationwide operator Megafon. As there was a lack of frequencies in the 900 MHz band, the ministry allowed Sonic Duo to use the 880-890 MHz spectrum of the E-GSM band. SONET claimed its network is now jammed by Sonic Duo.
SONET Director General Vladimir Morozyuk recalled he had warned the ministry of the interference danger. “There was a meeting in the Communications Ministry where they acknowledged we were right,” he said, adding the warning was ignored.
In its lawsuit, SONET cited Russian legislation and the framework of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) that note frequencies can be provided only if they do not cause jamming to operating carriers.
Sonic Duo rejected the interference claims. Roman Prokolov, an aide to the director general, said the carrier had received no jamming complaints from regulating bodies or SONET in two years of operation.
In the meantime, SONET reported the highest US$65 average revenue per user (ARPU) in Moscow, and said the number of its clients grew 41 percent last year to 80,000 people. Despite the ministry’s ouster order, the carrier plans to increase its subscriber figure to 100,000 this year.
In the whole of Russia, CDMA IS-95 carriers reported a 10-percent growth in the first quarter of 2003 and an additional 30,000 clients for a total of 350,000 subscribers. The operators account for 1.7 percent of the wireless market and blame the ministry restrictions for the small figure.
