TBILISI (WiMAX Day). Georgian telecommunications firm LLC Warid Telecom Georgia (a subsidiary of Pakistani operator Warid Telecom) won a state sponsored auction granting them a license for 3.5 GHz WiMAX spectrum. The Georgian National Communications Commission held the auction last month after receiving spectrum requests from Warid and another company, Dzheomaksi. According to Interfax News Agency, the license will secure admission to the local wireless broadband networks and facilities throughout Georgia. License conditions require Warid to launch services within twelve months and ensure that coverage of all twelve regions of the country occur within three years.

In Georgia, competition to obtain WiMAX technology frequencies has been fierce. At last month’s auction, bidding began at GEL 1.66 million (US$1,024,026). Warid won with the highest bid of GEL 17.01 million (US$10.4 million). Five other telecom outfits also participated in the sale, including: United Telecom of Georgia, Tele-no, Black Sea Telecom (which already holds WiMAX technology frequencies), Telecom Georgia (Sakartvelos Telekomi), and MagtiCom.

Despite losing the Government auction, MagtiCom has plans to make WiMAX available in all major cities in the Caucus by the end of 2008 and in every Georgian settlement within the next two years.