Ukraine’s National Commission for State Regulation of Communications & Informatisation (NCCIR) has decided to begin the process of converting the 2300MHz frequency band to 4G LTE usage, reports Liga.net. WiMAX fixed-wireless broadband operator Intellecom, trading as Giraffe, owns 55MHz bandwidth in the 2.3GHz band nationwide except for the Mykolaiv region, where Kraevid TV – a subsidiary of broadband operator Datagroup – hold 100MHz in the band. The NCCIR states that Giraffe has announced its readiness ‘under certain conditions’ to conduct a conversion of its frequencies, and the regulator has submitted its plans for public comment.
Note that the NCCIR is holding a 4G mobile licence auction – Ukraine’s first – in the 2600MHz band on 23 January 2018, whilst it is also moving ahead with converting licensed GSM 1800MHz mobile frequencies to enable 4G LTEusage nationwide and reallocate the 1800MHz spectrum via a competitive tender.