Ukraine’s National Commission for State Regulation of Communications & Informatization (NCCIR or NKRZI) today (22 September 2017) posted a notice on its website announcing that the decision to launch a 4G LTE mobile frequency auction has entered force. The announcement confirmed that the regulator’s approval of the tender procedure (No. 281, 30 May 2017) was published in the Official Gazette of Ukraine (No. 74) today, having been agreed upon by the State Regulatory Service of Ukraine (DRS), the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) and the State Service of Special Communication & Information Protection of Ukraine (DSTSZI), and registered with the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine on 11 September 2017 (No. 1115/30983).
NCCIR head Alexander Zhivotovsky has been quoted as saying that a 2600MHz auction will kick off in November-December 2017, closely followed by an 1800MHz competition in early 2018. In its announcement today, the NCCIR notes that the next necessary steps involve cooperation from existing mobile licensees to refarm/reallocate some of their spectrum, plus the preparation of spectrum conversion plans with economic costings to be approved by the regulator.