DUSHANBE, July 29, 2008, Asia-Plus - The Kazakh subsidiary of Russia''s Vimpelcom has gained state permission to use the higher-quality GSM-1800 frequency in the Central Asian state, the company said on Monday.

The 1800 Mhz frequency allows for higher transmission quality, but requires more base stations and is more suitable for large cities, Kar-Tel, the subsidiary of Russia''s second-largest mobile operator, said in a statement.

"This is an addition to the existing licence," a Kar-Tel spokesman Nurken Halykbergen said. The company currently uses the GSM-900 frequency in Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan is Vimpelcom''s second-largest market after Russia and its largest market in the former Soviet region. The carrier services around 4.8 million mobile subscribers in Kazakhstan and has a 39.5 percent market share there.

The spokesman said Kar-Tel, one of the two major Kazakh GSM operators, paid a fee for the new frequency but did not name it.

In the first quarter, revenues from Vimpelcom''s operations in Kazakhstan rose 36.3 percent to $162.8 million.