Cableco receives 3G licence

The Romanian cable group RCS&RDS has paid the first instalment of its 3G mobile licence fee and has been awarded its 15-year concession, opening the way for it to launch its first cellular services as soon as next month, local news portal Nine O’clock reports. The first payment of USD10.5 million represents 30% of the total licence fee. The remaining USD35 million will be paid in five annual instalments beginning January 2008. RCS&RDS was one of two firms to win 3G licences in an auction in October last year, the other being CDMA450 operator Zapp. The country’s two largest cellcos, Orange and MobiFon-Vodafone, have both held 3G concessions since November 2004; MobiFon launched the first next-generation networks in April 2005, while Orange switched on its own 3G networks in June last year.