MTS CEO: Russian Mobile Cos to Invest $14.7 Bln Within 5 Years
MOSCOW, Mar 19 (Prime-Tass) -- Russian mobile operators are expected to invest around US$14.7 billion within five years, Leonid Melamed, president of Russia's largest wireless operator Mobile TeleSystems (MTS), said Monday.
About 50% of that amount will be spent on building 3G networks, Melamed said, adding that 30% of Russian mobile subscribers are projected to use 3G services by 2012.
The Russian telecom regulator is expected to issue the first three 3G licenses in April.
Revenues from mobile services in Russia are expected to increase 17% on the year to $15.6 billion in 2007, MTS said in January.
The penetration of mobile services in Russia amounted to 105.7% as of late February, based on the number of active SIM cards, according to Advanced Communications & Media (AC&M).
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Posted to the site on 19th March 2007
