Gref Asks Chinese for Frequency
Russian cellular operator have not given up hope of entering the Chinese market – the world's largest. Yesterday, Acting Minister of Economic Development and Trade German Gref asked the Chinese government to “sell Russian operators frequencies.” Russian operators have been angling for that for years already, and analysts say they are not likely to have any more luck with government support.
Gref was speaking at the Russian-Chinese investment forum, saying the heads of the three largest Russian cellular companies asked him to make the request. The head of the Chinese National Development and Reform Commission Ma Kai replied that “China will strengthen political support for Russian investment, cooperate in simplifying visa procedures and provide tax and customs benefits.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin raised the question of Russian telecommunications in China in March of last year, and Chinese President Hu Jintao promised that he would “try to solve that problem.”
At the end of the first quarter of the year, there were 485 million cellular communications users in the People's Republic of China. That represents 33-percent market penetration. China Mobile, the world's largest operator, services 68 percent of those users, with China Unicom accounting for the remaining 32 percent. The Chinese government holds controlling packages in both companies. As of yesterday, China Mobile's market capitalization was $288 billion, and China Unicom $23.8 billion.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Sep. 21, 2007
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