Russian mobile carrier Scartel has launched in Moscow and St. Petersburg pilot trials of 802.16e mobile WiMAX service in the 2.5GHz to 2.7GHz frequency band utilizing Samsung Electronics' WiMAX network and technology, according to a press release by Samsung on September 2, 2008.

Scartel is a fledgling carrier which began operations in 2007. So far the company has invested US$200 million in its WiMAX network, to be marketed under the brand name of Yota. Scartel plans to install 1,600 Samsung base stations in the two aforementioned cities and cover a population of more than 20 million by year-end 2008, in preparation for the commercial launch of the Yota WiMAX service around the same time.

In addition to Samsung USB (Universal Serial Bus) modems, Yota will offer subscribers CPE (Customer Premises Equipment) - including USB modems, ExpressCard, and multiple-access Mobile WiMAX Wi-Fi center - manufactured by Taiwan's Asus, according to a press release by Yota.