Cosmofon will be offering services of the third generation of mobile technology.

According the Agency for Electronic Communications, Cosmofon's offer of over EUR 10 million was the best.

- According to the tender conditions, the money have to be paid by February 10 at the latest, Sofce Jovanovska, president of the commission said.

In the race for winning the tender, the other participant was T-Mobile, for which the selection of Cosmofon was "scandalous".

T-Mobile sources claimed they offered double lower prices, which was the key condition in the tender.

For them is also suspicious that the Agency did not reveal publicly the offered prices.

With 3-G technology the citizens will get wide spectre of services, video calls, TV programmes, watching movies and concerts, as well as fast Internet.

Cosmofon sources said they were ready to offer these technologically most advanced services.

Experts’ opinion: 3-G frequency for each operator

Although Macedonia has several free frequencies for third generation of mobile telephony, yet it approved only one, which belonged to Cosmofon, a classic GSM network operator, Vecer reads.

According to the experts opinion that was a wrong move, since this widely applied service should be offered by all companies, which met conditions for that.

- In EU countries, 3-G technology is offered by large number of virtual mobile operators. They do not have their own networks, but they use the existing ones with paying fees, experts say.

Macedonia, together with Albania is the last country in Europe without 3-G services.

The experiences in the regional countries show that operators are not selected on tender, but licences are given to all that met certain conditions.

Such is in example in Montenegro, where three mobile companies got licences for 3-G technology half year ago.

- The Agency for Electronic Communications has legal right to give frequencies for 3-G to all interested companies without tender. Why such opportunity is not allowed here, in order the existing three operators to be enabled to offer this service through their own networks, experts asked.

Transport minister Mile Janakievski defended the decision for allocation of only one frequency with the fact that operators will be obliged through tender to offer lower prices for citizens, and acceptable prices for other providers, which will want to offer 3-G, Vecer reads.

For the experts is still unclear what will happen if new tender for 3-G licence is announced in future and whether the same model will be used.

T-Mobile has estimated the selection of Cosmofon as "scandalous".

Cosmofon sources said that preparation for building of 3-G network is underway, and the citizens can feel the benefits of UTMS technology already this year.