Beskorovainy said Rossvyaz had distributed licenses for the use of allocated numbering capacity to Russia’s second-largest mobile operator Vimpelcom, which has been experiencing a serious lack of spare numbers, as well as to the regional operators Kazan GTS, Infolda, Ermak RMS, and Uralsvyazinform.

Vimpelcom received a license from the agency Tuesday to use 4 million numbers, while two more licenses will be issued to the Moscow-based telecoms operator in a couple of days, Beskorovainy said.

Vimpelcom Press Secretary Mikhail Umarov said the numbers received Tuesday will be used in the regional networks.

The next two licenses will add another 1.5 million numbers to the operator’s capacity, he added.

Beskorovainy noted that in the near future the agency would provide new numbers to all 50 cellular operators that have asked for additional numbering capacity.

The agency would also accept new bids for additional numbers from telecoms companies, he added.

Until laws on allocating numbering capacity are passed, the agency itself will decide on numbering capacity issues, Beskorovainy noted. Once the system of payment has been legally established, operators will pay for the numbers provided earlier by the agency, Beskorovainy said.

The State Duma, the lower house of parliament, has not yet considered the amendments to the law on communications, business daily Kommersant reported Monday.

The new amendments envisage that telecommunications operators should pay for newly allocated numbers. However, tariffs had not yet been set. The Duma's next meeting is scheduled for September 20. End

© "Prime-TASS"