Tele2 Russia has launched new base stations via the 2300MHz band to bolster its commercial 4G/LTE services in Moscow and St Petersburg.
As reported by Telesputnik, the mobile provider had previously applied to regulator Roskomnadzor for permits to operate base stations in the 2.3GHz-2.4GHz band.
In December 2019, the State Commission for Radio Frequencies (SCRF) awarded a holding of 2300MHz wireless broadband spectrum covering 83 Russian regions to Tele2’s parent firm Rostelecom.
TeleGeography reports that this spectrum had been reserved for the USC 2.0 programme, which is aimed at providing wireless broadband to “socially significant objects (SSOs)” such as schools, hospitals and other medical facilities, government buildings, Russian Guard facilities, fire and police stations and more as part of the Russian Digital Economy initiative.
However, in December 2020 the SCRF amended the licensing terms for 2300MHz spectrum, removing the criterion that it must be used exclusively for SSO connectivity and thereby clearing the way for its commercial use.
