In an announcement on 10 November Ukraine’s National Commission for State Regulation of Communications and Informatisation (NCCIR) has officially adopted a decision to convert licensed GSM 1800MHz mobile frequencies to enable 4G LTE usage nationwide and reallocate the 1800MHz spectrum via a competitive tender. The decision, posted on the regulator’s website, followed the receipt of statements of intent from the three current GSM-1800 licensees Kyivstar, Vodafone Ukraine and Lifecell to convert and reallocate their frequencies. According to the NCCIR’s statement the process is intended to start before the end of 2017 and be completed ‘no later than one month from the date of financing the cost of conversion’, the watchdog adding that it expects the three cellcos to submit conversion plans for review and approval within two weeks. Note that the NCCIR also recently finalised the date for holding a 4G licence auction in the 2600MHz band for 23 January 2018.
