SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP)--Bulgaria's telecommunications regulator on Wednesday issued three 20-year licenses for third generation mobile networks.
The licenses allow the companies to operate a third-generation mobile phone network in the country using UTMS, or Universal Mobile Telecommunications System, the wireless technology dominant in Western Europe.
Bulgaria's largest mobile operator, Mobiltel AD was issued a 20-year license to operate a high-capacity UMTS network, the Commission for Regulation of Communications said. The company will pay 78 million leva (EUR40 million) for it.
Greek-owned Cosmo Bulgaria Mobile and the Bulgarian Telecommunications Co. got low-capacity licenses for a fee of 42 million leva (EUR21.5 million) each.
Third-generation mobile phones can relay information at up to about 40 times the speed of current handset models. The service is starting to take off among the tech-savvy in nations in Asia and Western Europe.
In Bulgaria - a tiny Balkan country of 8 million - some 3 million people use mobile phones.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires"
Posted to the site on 27th April 2005
Posted to: www.cellular-news.com/story/12695.php