Skartel brings 4G to Russia

2010-08-17

Skartel, a Russian mobile network operator owning the Yota brand, will be the first company in Russia to offer 4G telecommunication technology. In H2 2010, the company plans to start offering Russian customers notebooks and mobile phones supporting the LTE standard. In autumn 2010, the company will launch this service, using Kazan as the starting point for the rollout.
In 2010 Skartel was granted several of the permissions and licences required to use specific frequency bands. Although the company received permission to offer new services in 170 Russian cities, on 30 July, the Russian authorities announced an annulment of these decisions.
The company has started preliminary negotiations with several suppliers over the supply of end-user equipment to Russia. Among the suppliers in question are Samsung and Huawei.