Turkcell Belarus unit receives 3G frequencies

Turkcell Belarus unit receives 3G frequencies

Turkcell's Belarussian unit has been allocated frequencies to use for its third generation technology and expects to receive a 3G licence from the government soon, a spokeswoman said on Friday. Turkcell is the first mobile phone operator in Belarus to receive 3G frequencies. It entered the Belarussian market last year, with the purchase of BEST for $500 million. Telekom Austria also operates in Belarus. "We should now expect to receive the relevant licences and after that we can start work. If the regulator approves it, we expect to receive the licence by the end of September," a Turkcell spokeswoman said. Turkcell is the third largest operator in Belarus with just over half a million subscribers from a population of 10 million. MTS, half-owned by Russia's MTS, is the largest operator, followed by Telekom Austrua.