Telecom

Ukraine’s telecommunications giant Ukrtelecom [UTEL UZ, U/R] has expanded its broadband Internet customer base to 500,000 as of October 1st. This is an increase from 206,000 subscribers at the end of 2007.

The National Communication Regulation Commission (NCRC) of Ukraine has announced its decision to award four new licenses for the use of additional radio-frequency bands in the range of 900 MHz.

A new fixed broadband internet service has begun operation in Ukraine. As reported by TeleGeography, this new service was launched under the brand name ‘Beeline’ and constitutes a joint venture between Golden Telecom and Ukrainian Radio Systems (Beeline), both of which are sister companies of the Russian telecommunications operator Vimpelcom.

In August 2008, the number of mobile communications subscribers in Ukraine grew by 0.75% or by 420,000 subscribers to reach 55.77 million; so says a report issued by IKS Consulting.

On the tail of price hikes for fixed line telephone services in Ukraine, which Sokrat wrote about in its news coverage earlier this week, Ukrtelecom [UTEL UZ, U/R] has announced that it will also be increasing monthly fees for individual subscribers who receive radio broadcasts.

Ukrtelecom [UTEL UZ, U/R] has officially announced that it does not intend to re-examine its plans for the development of mobile phone network connection and broad-band Internet access. The question arose in connection with the crisis on the loan market, the response for which was reported by the news agency Interfax-Ukraine.

Ukrtelecom [UTEL UZ, U/R] is set to increase its profits, with the recent announcement by the National Communication Regulation Commission (NCRC) that it will be increasing tariffs for the company’s fixed line telephone services by 20%. The new tariffs will take effect as of October 1, 2008.

According to a statement made on September 16, 2008 by the State Statistics Committee of Ukraine, August revenues of long distance telephone operators fell by 2.7% to UAH 461.5 mln, in comparison with July’s revenues, which totaled UAH 449 mln.

According to a statement made by the State Statistics Committee of Ukraine on September 16, 2008, August revenues for fixed line telephone operators’ provision of local calls fell by 2.1% to UAH 308.5 mln.

Ukrteleсom [UTEL UZ, U/R], the biggest landline telephone service provider in Ukraine, has opened new digital telephone stations (ATS) in two separate regional centers of Poltava Oblast