3G licences

The Estonian National Communications Board (ENCB) has announced a public tender for a 3G licence with a closing date of 23rd April 2004, reports The 3G Portal, a web-based news service reporting on important 3G news from around the world. Estonian telecommunications market is one of the most developed in Eastern Europe. Estonia became the first country in Central and Eastern Europe to liberalise its telecoms markets with the removal of the monopoly in fixed-line services from 1 January 2001. Estonia enjoys relatively high Internet usage rates, high use of Internet banking and e-government services and high ADSL broadband penetration. Mobile penetration levels are generally higher than the other Baltic countries. 3G licences have been awarded to the three incumbent mobile operators, AS EMT, Tele2 Eesti AS and Radiolinja Eesti AS. Now a fourth will be sold, by public tender with a closing date for participation of April 23, 2004 to the highest bidder, with a starting price of circa EUR 4.5 million for a ten-year concession.