MTS adds 105 million subscribers by February (Russia)
MTS has announced that it has consolidated a subscriber base of 104.11 million by the end of February, an increase of 6.5% year-on-year and 0.5% more than in January.
In Russia, the subscriber base grew by 3.9% year-on-year and 0.5% month-on-month to 71.86 million. The number increased to 18.27 million in Ukraine, an increase of5.1% from a year earlier and 0.29% more than in January.
The subscribe base reached 9.11 million in Uzbekistan, which grew by 25% year-on-year and up by 1.1% month-on-month. The number totaled 2.39 million in Turkmenistan, or 31.2% more than February 2010 and a drop of 0.7% from the previous month. The subscriber base grew to 2.49 million in Armenia, an increase of 18.5%year-on-year and up by 0.1% month-on-month. In Belarus, MTS increased its base 4.3% year-on-year and by 0.2% from January.
Beeline Uzbekistan expands 2G, 3G network in Karakalpakistan Republic
Beeline Uzbekistan has expanded it 2G and 3G network coverage in Karakalpakistan Republic.
The capacity of the network has been raised in Nukus city, Takhtiash town as well as in the Chimbay and Khodjeyli municipalities.
Beeline Uzbekistan is also planning to launch its 3G network in the Kashkandarya and Surkhandarya municipalities soon.
Ucell inks bilateral agreement with Smart Mobile and Telecom New Zealand (Uzbekistan)
Uzbekistan-based mobile services provider Ucell has added new roaming partners. Ucell has signed a bilateral agreement with Latelz in Cambodia (Smart Mobile) and Telecom New Zealand.
The company will now allow prepaid users to roam on the Viva network in Kuwait, on Qtel’s network in Qatar and on Telekom Deutschland’s network in Germany.
Moreover, Ucell added Telecel in Bolivia as a GPRS and 3G roaming partner.
VimpelCom shareholders approve combination with Wind Telecom S.P.A.
VimpelCom Ltd. (“VimpelCom” or the “Company”) (NYSE: VIP) announced today that the Company’s shareholders approved all of the items on the agenda at today’s Special General Meeting, paving the way to complete the combination of VimpelCom and Wind Telecom S.p.A. (“Wind Telecom”) (the “Transaction”).
Alexander Izosimov, CEO and President of VimpelCom, commented: “The approval of this transformative combination with Wind Telecom by our shareholders will lead to the creation a new global telecom player with over 173 million mobile subscribers covering a population of 838 million people. The combined group will have a significantly diversified revenue base, substantially larger scale of operations, and potential synergies estimated to be US$2.5 billion on a net present value basis. This transaction and the shareholder vote underscore the Company’s dedication to delivering substantial value creation for shareholders and our commitment to corporate governance excellence.”
Shareholders representing 93.1% of the Company’s voting shares participated in the Special General Meeting. The resolutions at the Special General Meeting were approved by 53.3% of the voting shares that participated in the meeting. Of the Company’s public shareholders, present at the Special General Meeting 39.8% voted in favor of the resolutions and 60.2% voted against the resolutions.
The completion of the Transaction is subject to certain conditions precedent, such as receipt of regulatory approvals and receipt of funds to finance the Transaction. Completion of the Transaction is expected to occur in the first half of 2011.
About VimpelCom
VimpelCom Ltd. consists of telecommunications operators providing voice and data services through a range of wireless, fixed and broadband technologies. The VimpelCom Ltd. group is headquartered in Amsterdam and has operations in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikstan, Georgia, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan,Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, covering territory with a total population of about 351,5 million. VimpelCom Ltd. operating companies provide services under the “Beeline” and “Kyivstar” brands. VimpelCom Ltd.’s ADSs are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “VIP”.
About WIND TELECOM S.p.A.
WIND TELECOM S.p.A. is a leading international telecommunications company offering mobile, fixed, Internet and international communication services. WIND TELECOM S.p.A. owns 100% of Wind Telecomunicazioni S.p.A. and 51.7% of Orascom Telecom Holding SAE, which in turn operates GSM networks in Algeria,Bangladesh, Egypt, Pakistan, North Korea, and in Canada through its indirect equity ownership in Globalive Wireless. WIND TELECOM S.p.A., through its subsidiaries, is currently serving 117 million subscribers worldwide and is the entry point of choice for both technically advanced attractive markets and high-growth under-penetrated emerging markets.
VimpelCom Selects Vantrix for Mobile and Web Video
Vantrix, the global leader of mobile video optimization and delivery solutions, announced today that VimpelCom (NASDAQ: VIP), Russia’s leading telecom group which provides voice and data services through a wide range of wireless, fixed and broadband technologies, has selected Vantrix Multi-screen Video solution for a nationwide deployment of its new Mobile TV and Video on Demand (VOD) services on their BeelineTM network.
Video is a key aspect of the services we are offering through our Beeline brand,†said Victor Markelov, Products Director at Vimpelcom. Vantrix’s solution features the unique Dynamic Bit Rate Adaptation, which allows real time adaptation to network conditions and guarantees the best user experience of video services. Quality of experience is a crucial element of our service offering and Vantrix is the best vendor to reach our goals. Amphora Group helped us to implement our ideas regarding video services offering, providing the seamless integration of new equipment with the current IT-infrastructure and making the services qualitative, convenient and fully meeting user expectationsâ€.
Vantrix Multi-screen Solution optimally delivers video and audio to any screen, regardless of the access network speed. It allows operators to manage subscriber services by providing a seamless experience across screens. Its content management and discovery capabilities, together with its catalogue, rules and permission management, provide a set of capabilities that are unique in the converged video market.
We are delighted to have been selected by VimpelCom after a rigorous evaluation,†said Charles Marsh, Senior Vice President of Sales at Vantrix. By deploying Vantrix Multi-screen Video solution, VimpelCom can optimize various TV & video formats, with dynamic bit rate adaptation and the capacity to handle the widest variety of devices.â€
About Vantrix Multi-screen Solution:
Vantrix Multi-screen Video is an end-to-end solution for the ingestion, optimization and delivery of live and on-demand video/audio across any devices; including feature phones, smartphones, PCs, tablets and set-top boxes. Multi-screen Video enables mobile TV, web TV and IPTV with a single point of management for subscribers, services and multimedia policies.
About VimpelCom
VimpelCom Ltd. consists of telecommunications operators providing voice and data services through a range of wireless, fixed and broadband technologies. The VimpelCom Ltd. group is headquartered in Amsterdam and has operations in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikstan, Georgia, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Vietnam and Cambodia, covering territory with a total population of about 345 million. VimpelCom Ltd. operating companies provide services under the Beeline†and Kyivstar†brands. VimpelCom Ltd.’s ADSs are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol VIPâ€.
About Vantrix
Vantrix, the global leader of mobile video optimization and delivery solutions, improves mobile and converged video economics for its customers by ensuring that content is delivered cost effectively, and with the best possible user experience, regardless of the service, device or network. Vantrix solutions are deployed in over 70 networks, serving over 1 billion subscribers worldwide. Vantrix is proud to count among its customers: Sprint (NYSE:S), Orange, Telefonica (NYSE:TEF), T-Mobile, TeliaSonera (OMX:TLSN), MTS, Etisalat (ADX:ETISALAT), Saudi Telecom Company (TADAWUL:STC), and Tata Telecom. Vantrix is headquartered in Montreal with offices in London, Hong Kong, and Dubai. To learn more about Vantrix, visit www.vantrix.com and follow us on Twitter at: @VantrixCorp.
About Amphora Group
Amphora Group is Russia’s leading supplier of IT and business solutions for finance and telecoms, manufacturing and commerce. Starting from 1998, the company offers systems integration, consulting, and IT/QA outsourcing. The company’s team includes more than 350 highly qualified experts in CIS and Central Asia. In 2005, the company was announced #2 among the fastest growing IT companies in Russia, having demonstrated revenue growth of more than 97%. In 2008, the overall revenue of the company exceeded 90 million Euro. The company was listed the 31st largest player in the Russian IT market and the 5th largest player in the IT outsourcing market. In 2009, the company became #8 and #10 among IT service suppliers for finance and telecoms. Today, Amphora Group customers include Alpha Bank, Raiffeisen bank, Home Credit Bank, MTS, VimpelCom, MegaFon etc.
For more details on the company and links to independent rating agencies, please visit our official Web site: www.amphora-group.ru.
Ucell adds 3G roaming partners (Uzbekistan)
Uzbekistan mobile operator, Ucell has signed agreements with new roaming operators. Subscribers can now roam on ‘One network’ in Macedonia.
Ucell also added new 3G roaming partners: Zain in Jordan, Expresso in Senegal, Dauphun Telecom in French Antilles, Qcell in Gambia and Airtel in Ghana.
VimpelCom welcomes announcement by Altimo on its commitment to preserve VimpelCom’s three independent board seats
VimpelCom Ltd. (“VimpelCom” or the “Company”) (NYSE: VIP) welcomes today’s announcement by Altimo Holdings & Investments Limited (“Altimo”) that Altimo is committed to preserving three independent seats on the Supervisory Board after the proposed combination of VimpelCom and Wind Telecom (the “Transaction”) is completed.
Altimo also affirmed the following:
- The current composition of VimpelCom’s Supervisory Board, including its three independent members, is not expected to change upon closing of the Wind Telecom transaction;
- The Wind Telecom transaction does not cause the termination of the Shareholders Agreement and, therefore, upon consummation of the transaction the Shareholders Agreement would still be in place; and
- Altimo intends to maintain three independent directors on the Supervisory Board even if the Shareholders Agreement were terminated in the future, with the three independent directors continuing to have the ability to break deadlocks at the Supervisory Board.
VimpelCom is committed to good corporate governance principles that safeguard the rights of all shareholders, including minority shareholders. Furthermore, the Company views the announcement by Altimo as an affirmation that all shareholders will continue to play an active role in corporate decision making.
The Special General Meeting of VimpelCom is scheduled to take place on March 17, 2011 to approve the issuance of up to 325,639,827 VimpelCom common shares and 305,000,000 convertible preferred shares and the increase of VimpelCom’s authorized share capital needed to complete this transaction.
VimpelCom’s Supervisory Board and Management Board recommend shareholders vote “FOR” the proposals by signing, dating and returning the WHITE voting card received from the Company.
Shareholders who need assistance or have questions about the voting process should call VimpelCom’s proxy solicitor, D.F. King & Co., Inc., toll-free in North America at +1 800 431 9645, toll-free in Continental Europe at 00800 5464 5464, +44 207 920 9700 from other locations, or call collect at +1 212 269 5550.
About VimpelCom
VimpelCom Ltd. consists of telecommunications operators providing voice and data services through a range of wireless, fixed and broadband technologies. The VimpelCom Ltd. group is headquartered in Amsterdam and has operations in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikstan, Georgia, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Vietnam and Cambodia, covering territory with a total population of about 345 million. VimpelCom Ltd. operating companies provide services under the “Beeline” and “Kyivstar” brands. VimpelCom Ltd.’s ADSs are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “VIP”.
About WIND TELECOM S.p.A. (formerly Weather Investments S.p.A.)
WIND TELECOM S.p.A. is a leading international telecommunications company offering mobile, fixed, Internet and international communication services. WIND TELECOM S.p.A. owns 100% of Wind Telecomunicazioni S.p.A. and 51.7% of Orascom Telecom Holding SAE, which in turn operates GSM networks in Algeria, Bangladesh, Egypt, Pakistan, North Korea, and in Canada through its indirect equity ownership in Globalive Wireless. WIND TELECOM S.p.A., through its subsidiaries, is currently serving 117 million subscribers worldwide and is the entry point of choice for both technically advanced attractive markets and high-growth under-penetrated emerging markets.
VimpelCom confirms supervisory board recommendation that shareholders vote ‘for’ proposals at special general meeting scheduled for March 17, 2011; announces ISS decision
VimpelCom Ltd. today affirmed that the Company’s Supervisory Board recommends that VimpelCom shareholders vote “FOR” approval of the issuance of VimpelCom common shares and convertible preferred shares and the increase of VimpelCom’s authorized share capital needed to complete the combination of VimpelCom and Wind Telecom S.p.A. (“Wind Telecom”). The Company also believes that Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), a proxy advisory firm, has reached an incorrect conclusion in its recommendation regarding the proposed combination of VimpelCom and Wind Telecom, a conclusion which is contrary to the recommendation of VimpelCom’s three independent directors.
In contrast to the recommendation of ISS, in a report dated February 25, 2011, Glass Lewis & Co., a leading independent proxy advisory firm, recommended that VimpelCom shareholders vote “FOR” the issuance of common and convertible preferred shares and the increase in authorized share capital needed to complete the combination, saying that “the Company should be provided the flexibility to use its equity in a manner that could provide funding for its operations and enhance shareholder value.”
Jo Lunder, the Chairman of VimpelCom’s Supervisory Board, commented: “As Chairman of the Company and an independent director, I am convinced that the Supervisory Board and management have thoroughly reviewed and considered all aspects of this transaction. The majority of the board, including all three independent directors, supports the expansion of our growth platform as it is strategically compelling and financially attractive. The Company looks forward to the upcoming Special General Meeting and is confident the combination will be approved when all our shareholders have a chance to vote.”
The Special General Meeting of VimpelCom is scheduled to take place on March 17, 2011 to approve the issuance of up to 325,639,827 VimpelCom common shares and 305,000,000 convertible preferred shares and the increase of VimpelCom’s authorized share capital needed to complete this transaction.
VimpelCom’s Supervisory Board and Management Board recommend shareholders vote “FOR” the proposals proposal by signing, dating and returning the WHITE voting card received from the Company.
Shareholders who need assistance or have questions about the voting process should call VimpelCom’s proxy solicitor, D.F. King & Co., Inc., toll-free in North America at +1 800 431 9645, toll-free in Continental Europe at 00800 5464 5464, +44 207 920 9700 from other locations, or call collect at +1 212 269 5550.
About VimpelCom
VimpelCom Ltd. consists of telecommunications operators providing voice and data services through a range of wireless, fixed and broadband technologies. The VimpelCom Ltd. group is headquartered in Amsterdam and has operations in Russia,Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikstan, Georgia, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Vietnam and Cambodia, covering territory with a total population of about 345 million. VimpelCom Ltd. operating companies provide services under the “Beeline” and “Kyivstar” brands. VimpelCom Ltd.’s ADSs are listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “VIP”.
Alcatel-Lucent expects LTE in India by 2012
Alcatel-Lucent is predicting that commercial LTE services will be launched across India by 2012, a development that markets in Western Europe should see as a warning that they are losing ground in the mobile broadband race.
According to Rajeev Singh Molares, President of Alcatel-Lucent’s Asia-Pacific operations, the people that bought [BWA licences] paid enormous amounts of money for them, so they’re going to have to build something with it if they want to see a return.
According to reports, he expects LTE trials to take place in India in the next four to six months. There will be commercial services launching in Q4, or Q1 [next year].
India’s BWA (broadband wireless access) spectrum auction, conducted throughout May and June 2010 raised $8.23 billion, with Infotel Broadband Services winning a nationwide licence with a bid of $2.74 billion. The company was subsequently acquired by Reliance Industries for around $1.06 billion.
Other notable winners from the BWA auction included Aircel, which won licences in eight of India’s 22 telecom service areas; Bharti Airtel, in four areas; and U.S. chip maker Qualcomm, which also picked up licences in four areas.
Singh Molares hinted that developments around LTE in India, as well as China which has designs on exporting its homegrown TD-LTE standard ,could indicate that Western Europe is beginning to lag behind the rest of the world when it comes to the next-generation mobile broadband. Western Europe was the centre of wireless innovation during the 80s and 90s.
However, he pointed out that Silicon Valley has introduced new operating systems and tablet devices to the mobile market, while U.S. operators like Verizon and MetroPCS are busy rolling out LTE coverage.
Europe meanwhile has seen LTE launches across the Nordics, as well as Germany, Austria, Estonia, and Uzbekistan, but other major markets such as France, the U.K., Italy, Spain and Switzerland have yet to auction the necessary spectrum, and the Netherlands has sold LTE airwaves but has yet to see any commercial launches.
