MOSCOW-The biggest Russian carrier Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) finally launched a GSM 900/1800 MHz network in Belarus, thus making its first step into the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) uniting 12 former Soviet republics.
MTS, whose launch was delayed by Belarussian red tape for two months, plans a fast development pace in the country with a 10 million population and only 2 percent of which are mobile-phone users. The carrier initially launched in the capital of Minsk with 20 base stations and a switchboard with a capacity of 100,000 clients. The number of base stations is to increase to 70 by September, and the carrier plans to invest US$50 million in Belarus this year.
MTS is offering cheaper tariffs compared with its Belarussian GSM competitor Velcom, which has 200,000 clients. Belarus is also within the internal MTS roaming zone, as if it were a Russian region.
“The launch of a GSM network in Belarus means that the company has moved to the international level,” said MTS President Mikhail Smirnov.
Further MTS service plans include Ukraine, where its major competitor Vimpelcom (BeeLine) is also eyeing a stake. So far, only the third pan-Russian carrier, Megafon, has been operating in the CIS and the Central Asian republic of Tajikistan.
