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...
SAN DIEGO—Littlefeet Inc. announced it has completed its GSM coverage solution trial with Vimpelcom in Russia. Littlefeet's SPICE coverage system is designed to help carriers quickly and cost-effectively achieve high-quality coverage for next-generation voice and data communications."Russia is a dynamic and rapidly growing mobile...
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—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...
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—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—Ericsson is actively operating on the former Soviet communications market and its recent successes include supplies of GSM equipment to a leading Russian and a Kazakh carrier.Ericsson signed a contract with the second-biggest Russian carrier Vimpelcom (BeeLine) for the delivery of equipment for the...
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...
WOODBURY, New York, United States—Comverse said it deployed its Intelligent Network (IN)-based prepaid solution to Vimpelcom, one of Russia's main wireless carriers.Comverse said the prepaid solution will allow Vimpelcom to efficiently provide wireless prepaid services to its GSM network subscribers.
WOODBURY, N.Y.—Comverse, a unit of Comverse Technology Inc., said it deployed its Intelligent Network-based prepaid solution to VimpelCom, one of Russia's main wireless carriers.Comverse said the prepaid solution will allow VimpelCom to efficiently provide wireless prepaid services to its GSM network subscribers.
MOSCOW—Two major Russian GSM carriers—MTS and Vimpelcom (BeeLine)—launched their first third-generation (3G) Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) network trial sections this month, and a third carrier is to follow suit in early 2002.Vimpelcom launched its section comprising two base stations, a controller and a...
MOSCOW—The second-biggest Russian carrier Vimpelcom (BeeLine) chose Alcatel as its equipment supplier for a third-generation (3G) network. The companies signed a memo of intent, which envisages that the KB Impulse, a 100-percent Vimpelcom subsidiary, will trial the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) technology. KB...
STOCKHOLM, Sweden—Allgon said it signed a US$6 million agreement with Vimpelcom to provide a coverage solution for Moscow's subway network. Allgon will provide a repeater-based coverage solution.
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...
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...
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...
BUCHAREST, Romania-Most countries in Western Europe have awarded third-generation (3G) licenses at high fees to a few operators. Companies are expecting revenue from the services within a decade, according to consulting companies.A report from the UMTS Forum released in April said users of 3G...
MOSCOW—Major Russian Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) carrier said it had completed a deal to buy an 81-percent stake in the Telecom 900 Company, which has a controlling interest in three regional carriers in the Urals, Siberia and the Far East.The statement followed the announcement of...
MOSCOW—The St. Petersburg-based North-Western GSM and the Moscow-based Sonic Duo carrier, as well as six Russian regional operators merged into a new company, which would deal with the pan-Russian Megafon project of the Telecominvest holding.The deal, which market experts dubbed as "the merger of...
MINSK, Belarus—Russian carriers for the first time participated in a foreign wireless communications tender and three of them qualified for the final stage of the auction for the second GSM license in Belarus.The Russian Mobile TeleSystems (MTS), North-Western GSM and Alfa-Eco Telecom investment company,...
