Utel cellular communication operator did not register some of the base stations that the company installed within the current year. This was reported to UrBC representative by the Head of Chelyabinsk Regional Office of Russian State Supervision Service Lyudmila Ryzhova. According to Ms Ryzhova, this kind of state regulations violation can be found in activities of other cellular communication operators as well. ‘When an operator purchases a base station, it has to coordinate the station frequency-assignment for the territory where it is installed. The coordination procedure is rather complicated and time-consuming. We issue the operating permit for the base station only when the coordination process is completed. The cellular communication operators, on their part, are looking for a faster recoupment of their investments into the base station installation and this sometimes makes them launch the base station without a permit,’ Ms Ryzhova explained.

‘The acts of Utel (Uralsvyazinform JSC) violate Clause 13.9 ‘Construction and operation without a special leave’ of Russian Administrative Infractions Code. The clause includes penalty provisions between 100 and 200 minimum wages,’ Ms. Ryzhova said.