Alfa Group's Ukrainian Unit to Invest $60-80 Mln in WiMAX Services

KIEV, Feb 10 (Prime-Tass) -- Ukrainian High Technologies, or Ukrainskiye Noveishiye Tekhnologii, an affiliate of Russia's Alfa Group holding, plans to invest between U.S. $60 million and $80 million in the development of WiMAX broadband services in 2006-2010, the company's press office said Friday, citing a business plan.

The company plans to serve 5,000 users by the end of this year and intends to increase its subscriber base to 300,000 users by the end of 2010.

Ukrainian High Technologies said that it plans to offer its services under the Alternet brand in all Ukraine's regional centers by the end of this year.

The company currently operates in Ukraine's capital, Kiev, and Kharkiv. The networks in the two cities were launched in November 2005. The company's General Director Yuri Chuikov said that the company currently operates seven base stations in Kiev, covering almost the entire city and plans in March to increase the number of base stations in Kharkiv to three, up from one currently.

Russian Technologies, a venture fund controlled by Alfa Group, holds 40% in Ukrainian High Technologies. Intel Capital has a 20% stake. It is not clear who holds the remaining 40%.

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Posted to the site on 10th February 2006