Estonia has one of three commercially launched UMTS 900 networks, according to a report from Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA), the other two being in Finland and Thailand.
The majority of 3G/UMTS deployments are in the 2100 MHz band (IMT-2000 core band), particularly in Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, however, radio propagation path-loss at 900 MHz is much lower. Deployment of UMTS systems at this lower frequency band (UMTS 900) results in better coverage both in terms of extended coverage in rural areas, as well as significantly improved indoor coverage, at much lower cost.
For the same service offering and coverage, the number of base station sites in the 900 MHz band can be reduced by 60 percent compared to that needed for 2100 MHz and reduce rollout time. WCDMA-HSPA at 900 MHz can complement 2100 MHz deployments by improving coverage, reducing CAPEX, improving Quality of Service and the user experience.
Several more UMTS 900 networks are in deployment, planned or under consideration in Australia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, New Zealand, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Switzerland, and the UK.