Regulator to Tender Mobile Frequencies in Far East, Other Regions"

MOSCOW, Jan 15 (Prime-Tass) -- Russia's State Radio Frequency Commission plans to tender off frequencies for mobile services in several regions, including regions of the Far East Federal District, a spokesperson with the commission told Prime-Tass Monday.

The date of the tender is expected to be announced after the list of frequencies is approved with the Defense Ministry, the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, the commission said in a report Monday that it had nixed several of its earlier decisions not to consider applications of Russia?s second largest mobile operator VimpelCom and its subsidiary for radio frequencies in the Far East Federal District.

The regulator has also cancelled other decisions to withhold frequencies for some regions in the Urals and Northwest federal districts.

VimpelCom has been seeking to expand its operations to all 13 regions of the Far East Federal District for several years but has thus far been thwarted by government regulators. After multiple applications were rejected by regulators, the company filed several lawsuits against the commission and the Federal Communications Agency, which allocates the frequencies. One court has already ordered the commission to review the company's application.

Currently, the company operates in only four regions of the federal district, which has a population of about 6 million people.

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Posted to the site on 15th January 2007