NEW YORK-Swedish-based telecom carrier Tele2 gained two new licenses in Europe Wednesday, one through a government award and the other through an acquisition.
In Croatia, Tele2 gained a GSM 1800 MHz and UMTS license through a consortium it is leading. Tele2 said it will start building out the network in the first quarter with a commercial launched planned for 2005. The license is the third combined GSM and UMTS license to be awarded in Croatia, which has a mobile penetration of about 60 percent, Tele2 said.
Tele2 did not disclose the cost of the license.
Separately, Tele2 said it acquired Votec Mobile, a GSM operator in Voronezh, Russia. Votec Mobile currently operates an AMPS/DAMPS service in the southern Russian region, and it has a limited GSM test market. Tele2 said mobile penetration in the region is about 30 percent.
“The acquisition of Votec Mobile with its Voronezh license is a natural step in the expansion of Tele2 in Russia, following our successful GSM mobile launches in 11 regions,” said Lars-Johan Jarnheimer, chief executive officer of Tele2. “With this acquisition, Tele2’s license footprint in Russia now covers a population of 33.3 million.”
