Moscow, Russia – July 12, 2012 – Rostelecom OJSC (MICEX - RTS: RTKM, RTKMP; OTCQX: ROSYY), Russia’s national telecommunications operator, today announces that on July 12, 2012, the Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of Telecom, Information Technologies and Mass Communications (Roskomnadzor) announced the results of a tender for the allocation of licences to provide communications services, using LTE-standard networks which can be modified to provide 4G services. 

In accordance with the decision of the tender commission, following the analysis of submitted proposals and after hearing all candidates, Rostelecom has been awarded licenses within the 791-798.5MHz band and 832-839.5MHz band to roll-out the LTE network. In accordance with Clause 3 of the State Commission for Radio Frequencies’ decision (No.11-12-02 of September 8, 2011), Rostelecom has been also allocated frequencies in the 2,500-2,690MHz, 720-750MHz and 761-791MHz ranges which also obligates the license holder to re-farm the radio spectrum.

According to the tender’s terms and conditions, tender winners are obliged to start providing LTE services no later than June 1, 2013, and fully deploy the LTE network across all Russian cities with a population of over 50,000 people in 2019.

Alexander Provotorov, President of Rostelecom, commented: “Rostelecom has all the technology, capital, intellectual and human resources required to complete the deployment of the most advanced federal LTE standard network on time, as required by the terms of the tender. The launch of the LTE network is an important step in Rostelecom’s transition to a universal operator, which provides converged services via cable, as well as wireless technologies across the whole country.”

Previously, on March 16, 2012, the State Commission for Radio Frequencies allocated Rostelecom and OJSC Megafon with frequencies, which would have to be used by the companies on a parity basis, to build LTE networks in the Krasnodar region in within the 791-820MHz, 821-862MHz, 2,300-2,400MHz, 2,530-2,620MHz and 2,650-2,690MHz ranges. Both companies are General Telecom Partners of the 2014 XXII Winter Olympic Games and the XI Paralympic Games in Sochi. According to the tender documentation, other winners of the latest tender will have to temporarily suspend their provision of LTE services during the organisation and hosting of the Olympic and Paralympic Games between October 1, 2012 and December 31, 2014, across the whole Krasnodar region.