OREANDA-NEWS.  June 20, 2012. The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS Russia) granted a petition of “Garsdale Services Investment Limited” on acquiring the rights that allow determining the conditions of entrepreneurial activity of “Skartel” Ltd. and “Iota” Ltd. and simultaneously issued a determination, reported the press-centre of FAS Russia.

The determination is based on assessment of potential possibility of a group of persons, comprising “Megaphon” OJSC and “Skartel” Ltd., to influence the state of the market of mobile wireless access services since the above entities were granted a permission to form networks of terrestrial mobile radio services in the LTE standard and its further modifications in the Russian Federation. The purpose of the determination is to ensure non-discriminatory access of virtual providers to the infrastructure of “Skartel” Ltd. and ability to provide communications services in the LTE standard.

In particular, “Skartel” Ltd. will have to devise and publish conditions for using radio access of “Skartel” Ltd. by virtual providers, and to provide access to the infrastructure on non-discriminatory conditions provided there is technical and economic possibility.

FAS also takes into account that significant radio frequency bands (2300-2400 MHz) are allocated to “Rostelecom” OJSC and “Osnova Telecoom” OJSC, which also can be used to form networks of terrestrial mobile radio services in the LTE standard and its further modifications.

To create conditions for developing fair and effective competition on the telecommunications market, FAS issued recommendations to “Rostelecom” OJSC and “Osnova Telecoom” OJSC to ensure access to the infrastructure for virtual providers. The recommendations correspond with the above determination.