Lithuania's Communications Regulatory Authority (RRT) has announced a public tender for granting 3G licenses, using the "beauty contest" method. The tender shall be aimed at identifying three winners which will be granted the right to use radio frequencies (channels) within the radio frequency bands of 1920 - 1980 MHz and 2110 - 2170 MHz.
According to the approved tender conditions, RRT will issue one permit for each of the three winners to use radio frequencies (channels) indicated in the third generation mobile radio communication (UMTS/IMT-2000) development plan within the radio frequency band 1920 - 1980 MHz and 2110 - 2170 MHz.
Tender documents must be submitted by 12 January 2006 and the winners announced by 13th February 2006. The license will be valid for 20 years.
Any winner will be required to launch services within one year of the licenses being awarded. Coverage must be extended to Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipėda within 3 years, and to Šiauliai and Panevėžys within 6 years. Any license holder without an existing GSM license may be able to force a GSM roaming agreement with the incumbent operators if a commercial roaming agreement cannot be secured.
The license has a fee of US$1.2 million.
Lithuania's 3 incumbent operators, Omnitel, owned by TeliaSonera; Sweden's Tele 2 and Bite Lietuva, owned by Denmark's TDC - are expected to participate in the tender."
Posted to the site on 21st November 2005
Posted to: www.cellular-news.com/story/14912.php