VimpelCom reveals HSPA residential broadband plan

Russia, the fourth largest mobile market in the world, is set to get residential broadband delivered via HSPA. Alexander Izosimov, CEO of Vimpelcom, the second largest operator in the country with over 50 million subscribers, revealed his plans for the 3G network to delegates at yesterday afternoon’s keynote session.

Speaking later to the Show Daily, Izosimov said: “The plan is to roll out during the second half of 2008, concentrating initially on rural areas where there is little or no connectivity from copper or fibre. We see this as the way to open up a new revenue stream, as there’s an obvious gap in the market.

“Essentially we expect this to kick-start the take-up of 3G services – it’s a way of driving the adoption curve.”

VimpelCom is currently selecting the supplier for its 3G network implementation. The company operates networks in Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Georgia and Armenia under the 'Beeline' brand.