MINSK, Belarus—Belarus has finally given a green light for the biggest Russian carrier, Mobile TeleSystems (MTS), to launch a second GSM network in the country, however, Belarussian red tape delayed the launch for at least three months.The green light was switched on personally by...
MOSCOW—Russian company Accord-Tel announced plans to create the fifth pan-Russian wireless network with the use of cdma2000 technology based on the International Mobile Telecommunications-Multi Carrier (IMT-MC) standard.Four pan-Russian GSM networks are being created by Mobile TeleSystems (MTS), Vimpelcom (BeeLine), Megafon and MCT Corporation (Indigo)....
MOSCOW—Cdma2000 technology based on the International Mobile Telecommunications-Multi Carrier (IMT-MC) standard has made the first step toward acquiring federal status in Russia.In March, the Communications Ministry approved "general technical requirements for equipment of federal systems of wireless mobile communications in the 450 MHz band...
MOSCOW—The biggest Russian carrier, Mobile TeleSystems (MTS), placed US$50 million of euro bonds.The MFD-InfoCenter reported that the bonds will mature on 21 December, 2004, and the coupon yield is 10.95 percent annually. The additional issue goes on the same terms as the main one...
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia—Swedish company Tele 2 denied plans to sell the St. Petersburg-based FORA Communications AMPS carrier, which combines operators St. Petersburg Telecom and Oblcom."We are not going to sell FORA. On the contrary, we are planning to develop it and create a third...
MOSCOW—The biggest Russian carrier Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) is likely to pay more than US$85 million for a blocking interest in the fourth-biggest regional carrier Kuban GSM in the Krasnodar territory in the south of the country. Both carriers announced the deal early this year...
MOSCOW—The Sonic Duo carrier, which is the Moscow stronghold of the pan-Russian Megafon project, received a US$138 million loan from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the German HypoVereinsbank and Nordea, a leading Scandinavian investment group.Sonic Duo...
MOSCOW—Siemens has reportedly won the tender for equipment supplies for the construction of the second GSM 900/1800 MHz network in Belarus, which is to be operated by the leading Russian carrier Mobile TeleSystems (MTS).Official tender results were expected on 4 February, but have not...
MINSK, Belarus—The Saudi Oger carrier is considering the purchase of a 50-percent stake in the Belarussian Belcel carrier, with a deal likely to shape out by the end of February.The Saudi Arabian carrier, which lost the tender for the second Belarussian GSM license to...
MOSCOW—The second-biggest Russian carrier Vimpelcom (BeeLine) is reportedly negotiating a US$250 million credit with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to finance regional expansion.The carrier initially said it planned to place euro bonds in the same amount in the first half of...
MOSCOW—The biggest Russian carrier Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) officially confirmed it has reached an agreement on the purchase of a controlling stake in the fourth-biggest regional carrier Kuban GSM in the Krasnodar territory in the south of the country."The companies have signed preliminary documents, which...
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia—The development of the pan-Russian Megafon project of St. Petersburg-based Telecominvest holding has prompted a series of acquisitions, as the initially "virtual" project reported 1 million clients in only one-half year of operation.Megafon is the only Russian operator that possesses GSM licenses...
SAMARA, Russia—The fifth-biggest Russian carrier, SMARTS on the Volga, chose the Evolium solution of French vendor Alcatel to develop its GSM 900/1800 MHz networks.The carrier, with close to 300,000 clients, said the contract, worth e10 million (US$8.8 million), will help it more than double...
MOSCOW—A shareholder of the fourth-biggest Russian carrier Kuban GSM in the Krasnodar region in the south of the country has decided to sell its interest in the operator, and top national carrier Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) is the likely buyer.The directors of Kubanelektrosvyaz, which holds...
MOSCOW—Despite a recent Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) test by one of Russia's largest operators, Russian Communications Minister Leonid Reiman refused to disclose the timeline for issuing the first third-generation (3G) license in the country. "The main barrier today is a lack of 3G...
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia—The third-biggest Russian carrier, St. Petersburg-based North-Western GSM, launched a GSM 900/1800 MHz network in the Central Asian republic of Tajikistan in the last days of 2001.The network, which so far covers the capital of Dushanbe, is run by the Russian-Tajik joint...
MOSCOW—Russian carrier Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) placed its first euro bonds worth US$250 million as it needs additional funds for regional expansion.MTS spokeswoman Eva Prokofyeva said the funds will be used "for a further network development, including in the regions."The yield of the three-year bonds...
MOSCOW—The biggest Russian carrier Mobile Telesystems (MTS) has reportedly reached a deal to buy a controlling interest in the fourth-biggest regional carrier, Kuban GSM, in the southern Krasnodar region with 316,000 subscribers."The shareholders of Kuban GSM passed the final decision to sell the controlling...
MOSCOW—Two major Russian carriers, Mobile Telesystems (MTS) and Vimpelcom (BeeLine) said they plan to place their first Euro bonds, and market experts commented the foreign borrowings are necessary for regional expansion.MTS said it will place bonds worth US$250 million in December through its Luxembourg-based...
MOSCOW—The Russian military are to abandon the 900 MHz band in the coming two years, and the government said the process will be financed by mobile carriers, which will get the freed frequencies.The government approved in late November the "program of conversion of radio...
MINSK, Belarus—Russian carrier Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) won the tender for the second GSM license in neighboring Belarus. Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko, who personally followed tender developments, announced the news.Lukashenko said MTS had agreed to double the price for the license to US$10 million and...
MOSCOW—Sonic Duo, which has the third GSM license in Moscow, finally launched a test operation of its network in the Russian capital.After several delays caused by the absence of frequencies, Sonic Duo began operating thanks to the St. Petersburg-based North-Western GSM, with which it...
MINSK, Belarus—The Belarussian Communications ministry has determined the winner of the second GSM license tender, but delayed the official announcement for several days until the end of the presidential election scheduled for 9 September.However, the Prime-TASS business news agency quoted anonymous sources in the...
MOSCOW—The Rostelecom Company plans to sell its 23.5-percent stake in Moscow Cellular Communications (MCC) due to the financial losses the operator has incurred, announced Rostelecom Director General Sergei Kuznetsov. However, MCC hurried to report a US$2 million net profit during the first half of...
