MTS covers Exhibition centre, restricted to indoor coverage by military
Mobile TeleSystems, the largest mobile phone operator in Russia and the CIS, has launched the first phase of its 3G network in Moscow. The operator is following a strategy of covering the largest business and shopping centres with HSDPA networks.
The first indoor network was launched in Moscow’s Expocentre, one of the largest exhibition centers in Eastern Europe. MTS has covered the whole Expocentre exhibition space with and HSPA network, providing customers with data download speeds of up to 3.6 Mbit/s.
MTS is planning to launch additional 3G networks in the 35 largest business and shopping centers in Moscow in 2009, including the Domodedovo International Airport. MTS will also launch indoor 3G networks in the offices of the largest corporations based in Moscow. 3G services will also become available in several cities in the Moscow region, including Noginsk and Orekhovo-Zuyevo.
MTS has also received permission to deploy 3G networks in the Moscow metro, with the first test network to be launched on the Sokolnicheskaya line.
Development of 3G networks is a cornerstone of MTS’ strategy aimed at providing mobile broadband in the CIS. As these markets demonstrate relatively low levels of fixed-line penetration and historic underinvestment in infrastructure, MTS views its networks as an ideal vehicle to meet the growing broadband Internet needs of its subscribers through attractive data products and services.
MTS already operates 3G networks in Russia, Uzbekistan and Armenia and offers high-speed data access through its proprietary CDMA-450 network in Ukraine.
3G network coverage in the Moscow region has been delayed because the Russian military owned the rights to the spectrum in which operators wished to launch services. At the moment the operators only have permisson to provide indoor coverage, which is why MTS is targetting the major indoor markets. The operators say they are ready to provide full 3G coverage by early next year, if agreement can be reached.
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