AROS asks to turn on Vainakh Telecom

The Association of Regional Telecom Operators (AROS) believes that Vainakh Telecom has the right to include the LTE (4G) network, despite the fact that the equipment on which it is built does not have Russian status. If the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications agrees with the opinion of AROS, several telecommunications equipment manufacturers will be able to obtain the status of domestic ones, and Rostelecom will be able to build a 4G network in the 2.3-2.4 GHz range.

In mid-January, Vainakh Telecom announced the completion of construction of the LTE network in Chechnya (see Kommersant on January 15). The company has installed 180 Nokia Siemens Networks LTE TDD base stations in Grozny and within a year intends to launch another 200 stations in regional centers and large settlements of the republic. But the operator cannot yet begin commercial operation: according to the terms of the license, the network had to be built on equipment that has Russian status.

AROS President Yuri Dombrovsky believes that Vainakh Telecom can provide 4G services. He expressed this opinion in a letter to the Minister of Communications and Mass Communications Nikolai Nikiforov (a copy is at the disposal of Kommersant). “The license does not require that the equipment have “Russian status,” writes Mr. Dombrovsky. “It only speaks about the use of domestically produced radio electronic equipment (radio electronic equipment. - Kommersant ). At the same time, the definition of the concept of “domestic production electronic equipment” is given in the decision of the SCRF dated August 19, 2009 N09-04-05-1. It is documented that the equipment of the LTE TDD standard was manufactured in the city of Tomsk, LLC “Center for Wireless Technologies,” the letter says. The SCRF decision states that in the creation and development of mobile wireless access networks in the 2.3-2.4 GHz range in 40 regions (in competitions at the beginning of 2010, Rostelecom won frequencies in 39 regions, in one - Vainakh Telecom) ) only domestically produced RES should be used.

Yuri Dombrovsky confirmed to Kommersant the authenticity of the letter. The Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications declined to comment, citing the fact that they had not yet received the letter. Roskomnadzor did not answer Kommersant’s questions.

Wines Telecom stated that they would put the network into commercial operation without any deviations from the established procedure. “There is no need to violate it, since the process of completing all documentation confirming the fulfillment of the requirement to use domestically produced equipment is proceeding as normal,” says Abram Khait, adviser to the operator’s general director. He does not predict when the company will launch the network. Nokia Siemens Networks said that they plan to submit documents to obtain the status of a Russian manufacturer by the next meeting of the interdepartmental council (to be held on February 19). “In any case, the decision to satisfy the requirements of the Vainakh Telecom license can only be made by regulatory authorities,” says company representative Irina Bizyaeva.

The possibility of launching a network on equipment manufactured in Russia may also be of interest to Rostelecom. The operator has not yet begun construction of networks in 39 regions where it owns 2.3-2.4 GHz frequencies, including due to the fact that not a single manufacturer has Russian status. A source close to the company notes that they are interested in ensuring that “this conflict is resolved as quickly as possible.” “However, we need more than just one domestic manufacturer. Otherwise, it will become a monopolist and will dictate its own terms,” Kommersant’s interlocutor fears. At the same time, he is confident that NSN will not receive status in the near future. “Most likely, the plant in Tomsk will be able to obtain the necessary decisions from the SCRF and the FSB, but the Ministry of Industry and Trade can only assign the status of Russian to a company where the share of the domestic investor is at least 50%, and for the specified joint venture this figure is 25%,” he explains .

In addition to NokiaSiemens Networks, joint ventures for the production of equipment in Russia were created by Alcatel-Lucent and Huawei. There is logic in Yuri Dombrovsky’s arguments, Huawei agrees. At the same time, this company says that obtaining Russian status “for a foreign vendor does not look economically feasible, given the existence of a mandatory requirement to use such equipment only when creating and developing mobile wireless access networks in the 2.3-2.4 GHz range in 40 regions, as well as the consequences of Russia's accession to the WTO."

Anna Balashova

LTE equipment status is selected