Samsung scoops mega Russian WiMAX contract

WiMAX continues to gain acceptance as evidenced by the Russian operator Yota awarding Samsung an order for 5,000 WiMAX base stations. The deal is reported to be part of an ongoing contract designed to provide Yota with a complete WiMAX network covering the majority of Russia cities.

The initial deal, which saw Samsung supply 4,500 WiMAX macro and pico base stations in 2008, will receive a fresh boost next month when the company expands the network coverage from three to 15 cities in 2010, before expanding the network to 180 cities nationwide over the next few years.

Yota claims it already has 300,000 mobile WiMAX users in Moscow, St. Petersburg and Ufa, and is providing service to over 50,000 subscribers in Kransnodor and Sochi.

In addition to expanding its Russian WiMAX coverage, Yota said it is also actively extending its mobile WiMAX services with Samsung in other markets around the globe. Yota launched a trial service in Nicaragua last December and is preparing to launch in Belarus in the second quarter of 2010. In January Yota was also awarded mobile WiMAX bandwidth spectrum use for nationwide network services in Peru.

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