The 15-year license will enable the operation of a CDMA network throughout the country of 4.5 million people, ANRTI said. Bids will be accepted until June 30.

The country's monopoly fixed-line operator Moldtelecom said recently that it would bid for the third mobile license. The company already has a CDMA license for fixed-wireless service.

Moldova is offering the new license after the Constitutional Court declared illegal the government's 2004 decision to grant a 15-year mobile license competition-free to Transdniestrian mobile operator InterDnestrCom. InterDnestrCom paid US$ 1.0 million for the license, a fraction of the US$ 8.0 million fee paid for the same license by the two existing Moldovan mobile operators, Voxtel and Moldcell.

The mobile market in Europe’s poorest country was launched in 1997, when Voxtel, established by France Telecom, became Moldova's first operator. In 1999, Turkey's Turkcell was awarded the second mobile license and set up the second operator, Moldcell. Both operators provide service through GSM 900 networks.

Mobile penetration rate was 21.8% in 2004, compared with 13.0% in 2003. The total number of subscribers rose by 67.6% in 2004, to 787,000.

Source: SeeNews