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Astelit takes over Vimpelcom and MTS with 60% of total subscriber addition in Ukraine (Russia)

  • September 19th, 2008
  • 6:18 am

The mobile subscribers in Russia reaches 177.3 million with the end of August, a rise of 13.6 million from last year and an addition of 1.6 million in the month of August. The penetration has been huge and has crossed 122%, based on the reponse from the major cities. There were 174 SIM cards in use per 100 population in Moscow at the end of last month and 159 in St Petersburg, showing a new trend in penetration.
With all the additions in Moscow, the leading operator MTS posted a negative growth for the month of August, with a falling subscriber base, from 61.86 million to 61.48 million. Though it still retained it’s top position with 34.7% market share.
Megafon had performed strongly in August, with the total market share of 22.4%. Its subscriber base rose to 40.57 million from 39.72 million.
Vimpelcom, claims 43.8% of new additions, taking its subscriber base to 44.26 million and its market share to 24.4%.
The country’s top two operators MTS and Vimpelcom posted slow growth in Ukraine and the number three player, Astelit, took over with 60% of the total subscribers added. It’s subscriber base rose to 10.58 million with the market share of 19%.
Vimpelcom added just over 100,000 subscribers in August, to boost its subscriber base to 2.37 million, but with a market share of 4.2%.
Kyivstar and number two operator MTS added around 10,000 and 2,500 subscribers respectively, with the Ukraine’s total subscriber base moving to 55.72 million from 55.31 million in July. Penetration stood at 120.6%.

   

MTS posts 87.26 million total subscribers (Russia)

  • August 20th, 2008
  • 11:09 am

MTS has reportedly added 0.32 million new subscribers during July and the total reached 87.26 million subscribers.
MTS in Russia earned 0.48 million, the total being 61.86 million. MTS in Moscow added 0.03 million subscribers, to reach a total 14.14 million subscribers at the end of July. Subscribers in the rest of Russia numbered 44.71 million. In Ukraine, MTS lost 0.53 million subscribers, reaching 18.60 million. MTS also has 4.61 million subscribers in Uzbekistan, 0.64 million in Turkmenistan, 1.56 million in Armenia and 4.07 million in Belarus. 

   

MTS gets 0.64 million new subscribers in the month of June (Russian Federation)

  • July 18th, 2008
  • 11:55 am

Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) added 0.64 million new subscribers during June, reaching a total of 86.94 million users. MTS subscribers in Russia totalled 61.38 million, up by 0.52 million versus the end of April. MTS added 0.08 million subscribers in Moscow and the Moscow region to reach a total 14.11 million subscribers at the end of May. Subscribers in the rest of Russia numbered 44.31 million. In Ukraine, MTS lost 0.24 million subscribers, reaching 19.13 million. MTS also has 4.37 million subscribers in Uzbekistan, 0.57 million in Turkmenistan, 1.49 million in Armenia and 4.03 million in Belarus.

   

Alcatel-Lucent on board Synterra’s WiMAX venture (Russia)

  • July 7th, 2007
  • 9:38 am

Russia telco Synterra has selected Alcatel-Lucent to supply wireless broadband equipment to support its planned nationwide deployment of WiMAX networks in the 2.5GHz frequency band. The project, in cooperation with several regional service providers, aims to cover 1,000 Russian towns and cities with an average population of 100,000 inhabitants by the end of 2008, with the first provincial networks expected to be operational by the fourth quarter of this year. Synterra has already launched WiMAX networks in a number of cities, including Moscow.

 

   

Comstar buys Comstar-Ukraine

  • June 5th, 2007
  • 11:09 am

Russian fixed-line telecommunications operator OAO Comstar United TeleSystems (CMST.LN) said Monday that it has paid $0.9 million for the remaining 25% minority stake in its Ukrainian subsidiary Comstar-Ukraine from Ukrainian company Neotel.

Comstar will now become the sole owner of Comstar-Ukraine.

Comstar purchased a 24% stake in Comstar-Ukraine, while UTS MGTS, a 100% subsidiary of fixed-line operator Moscow City Telephone Network, or MGTS, acquired the remaining 1% stake.

   
 

Synterra creates partner network

  • June 5th, 2007
  • 6:50 am

The Russian wireless internet operator Synterra has announced that it is setting up a pool of regional suppliers and systems integrators which will assist in its rollout of thousands of localised WiMAX networks. The firm says it hopes to sign deals with partners in 1,000 cities by the end of 2008. Synterra has 2.5GHz-2.7GHz licences covering all cities in Russia with more than 100,000 inhabitants; this equates to approximately 126,000 localities, Comnews reports. It also holds a 3.4GHz-3.5GHz concession covering St Petersburg and the Leningrad region, as well as a national permit to operate in the 5.6GHz-5.75GHz range. Synterra has already launched commercial WiMAX networks in a number of cities, including Moscow.

   

MTS announces 1Q results, gives 3G forecasts

  • June 1st, 2007
  • 1:32 pm

Mobile TeleSystems (MTS), Russia’s largest cellco by subscribers, has announced its operational and financial results for the first quarter of 2007. The company’s consolidated revenues for the quarter reached USD1.741billion, OIBDA was USD903 million and the OIBDA margin 51.9%. In the period under review MTS acquired 1.4 million net new subscribers, including 300,000 in Russia, 700,000 in Ukraine, 252,000 in Uzbekistan, 162,000 in Belarus and 15,000 in Turkmenistan. Churn in Russia grew by 6.1% in the first three months of the year, compared to 5.1% in the previous quarter. In Ukraine the figure fell from 8.2% in the previous quarter to 7.8%. As of 31 March MTS claimed to have a 33% market share in Russia, 40% of the Ukrainian market, and 56%, 83% and 54% of the Uzbek, Turkmen and Belarusian markets respectively.

MTS said yesterday that it expected annual revenue from 3G mobile services to reach USD2.5 billion in 2011. Alongside domestic rivals Vimpelcom and MegaFon, MTS won a 3G licence in April this year and said it would invest USD1 billion in its development in the next three years to build a network of around 3,000 W-CDMA base stations; it also said it would cut expenditure on 2G GSM technology by USD250 million. ‘3G is a strategic choice for MTS,’ Chief Executive Officer Leonid Melamed told reporters. MTS forecasts the number of subscribers for 3G services in Russia will reach eleven million by 2011. It estimates there are currently 1.6 million 3G-capable handsets in Russia. ‘A limited commercial use of the [MTS] network in Moscow may begin already in 2007,’ Melamed said. MTS had previously forecast the system would be commercially launched in mid-2008 and would cover the whole of Russia in 2009. It plans to connect up to 43 cities to the network by 2009. Melamed said priority would be given to cities populated by at least one million people.
   

Golden Telecom raises USD 180 mln loan for acquisitions

  • May 24th, 2007
  • 11:04 am

Russian telecommunications operator Golden Telecom raised a USD 180 million loan under a USD 275 million five-year syndicated loan agreement signed with international lenders, according to Russian news agency Novosti. The loan, which carries interest rate of LIBOR plus 1.5% per year in the first 24 months and LIBOR plus 2% for each subsequent year, was received through Sovintel, a Golden Telecom subsidiary. Golden Telecom, which provides integrated telecom and internet services in major Russian cities and former Soviet republics, will use the loan to finance the acquisition and development of Moscow-based broadband Internet provider Corbina Telecom and also the firm Fortland, licensed to provide DVB services in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Golden Telecom, whose major shareholders are Altimo (29%), Telenor (20%), and Rostelecom (11%), also intends to use the loan to invest in the development of digital television, regional expansion and consolidation of alternative operators. Citibank, London Branch and ING Bank are the leading loan managers.