Moldova's telecoms regulator, ANRCETI has announced plans to sell 3G licenses in the 1900-2025/ 2110-2200 MHz frequency bands later this year. The regulator has set a fee of US$8 million for each license which will last for 15 years.

The license holders will be required to launch 3G services before August 1, 2009. By the end of the first year of operation, the license holder is to ensure 3G coverage of Chisinau and Balti municipalities, by the end of the second year of operation - Comrat municipality, district centers Cahul, Orhei, Ungheni and Soroca, and by the end of the third year - the other 29 district centers. After three years of operation the license beneficiary will ensure the coverage of Moldova territory, depending on demand.

ANRCETI Director, Sergiu Sitnic said that the four existing operators have, in general approved the rules for the 3G license allocation. The statement from the regulator did not however detail how many licenses would be offered.

There are currently three GSM operators, Orange, Moldcell and new entrant, Eventis Mobile along with one CDMA operator, Moldtelecom in the country. According to figures from the Mobile World database, the country ended Q1 '08 with just over 1.8 million subscribers - representing a population penetration level of around 46%.

Moldcell announced a couple of months ago that its network is now ready to launch 3G services - as soon as it is granted a 3G operating license. The upgrade to their network was provided by Ericsson. Moldtelecom is already operating a 3G service on its CDMA network.

A second CDMA operator, Interdnestrcom also operates, but only in the self-declared autonomous region of Transnistria.

Source: ANRCETI