Mobile Content Russia

MTS, the largest cellular network operator in Russia and CIS, has announced commercial launch of its 3G network in Orenburg. Orenburg is a city on the Ural River and the administrative center of Orenburg Region in the Volga Federal District of Russia. It is situated 1,478 km southeast of Moscow, very close to the border with Kazakhstan. Its population is 542,700 (2005 est.).

At its launch 3G network covers the central part of the city where most offices, administrative buildings and institutions of higher education are located. By the end of 2009 MTS plans to broaden the network coverage up to 100% of the city territory. 3G technology provides data transfer rate up to 3.6Mb per second.

MTS, the largest cellular network operator in Russia and CIS, has announced the commercial launch of 3G networks in two Russian cities Saratov and Engels. MTS 3G network covers all areas of the two cities and provides data transfer speed up to 3.6 Mb per second. Subscribers who want to use data transfer service in MTS 3G network in Saratov region need to have a 3G enabled handset or they have to be signed up to MTS GPRS service and have PCMCI/USB-modem.

When a subscriber buys «MTS Connect» package (which includes USB-modem and a special data plan «MTS Connect-2»), the subscriber gets 600 Mb of web traffic for free. The free traffic is given out by 100 Mb packages each month during six months since service activation.

MTS, the largest cellular network operator in Russia and CIS, has launched the first phase of its 3G network in Moscow. The operator is following a strategy of covering the largest business and shopping centres with HSDPA networks.

The first indoor network was launched in Moscow's Expocentre, one of the largest exhibition centers in Eastern Europe. MTS has covered the whole Expocentre exhibition space with and HSPA network, providing customers with data download speeds of up to 3.6 Mbit/s.

MTS is planning to launch additional 3G networks in the 35 largest business and shopping centers in Moscow in 2009, including the Domodedovo International Airport. MTS will also launch indoor 3G networks in the offices of the largest corporations based in Moscow. 3G services will also become available in several cities in the Moscow region, including Noginsk and Orekhovo-Zuyevo.

MTS, the largest cellular network operator in Russia and CIS, announces that it has initiated the testing of outdoor 3G radio coverage in Moscow. The goal of the trial is to confirm the possibility and conditions of joint operation of outdoor 3G radio coverage and radio electronic means of military application. The trials are to be finished by June 2009.

Also, MTS informed that it has received expert findings from Main RF Center confirming the possibility of using base 3G stations in the buildings and houses of Moscow, as well as in the subway and Moscow region. Particularly, expert report defines the parameter the base 3G stations should have, concerning their power, height and antennas' direction. The findings will allow MTS to get permission for commercial launch of 3G network in the mentioned area and begin offering 3G services to its customers.

Armenian mobile operator ArmenTel (Beeline brand) celebrates its 500,000-th video call in Beeline mobile 3G network (UMTS HSPA). The subscriber who made the anniversary video call is a 37 y.o. citizen of Yerevan, Armen Grigoryan.

The first 3G network in Armenia was commercially launched in beta mode by ArmenTel on June 18, 2008. The full commercial launch was conducted in September 2008. Since that time the network handled two million calls, including 500,000 video calls.

MTS, the largest cellular network operator in Russia and CIS, announces the commercial launch of its 3G network in Armenia, one of the CIS countries.

MTS launches today the first UMTS / HSPA 3G network in Armenia in the three largest cities of the country: Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, Guymri and Vanadzor. The network will be expanded to additional cities during 2009. The next-generation network will deliver faster data download speeds through the advanced UMTS / HSPA technology, enabling such innovative services such as video calling, and increase capacity to handle usage growth.

ComNews Research has published a report about Russian mobile internet market in 2008 and has made its forecasts for 2009. In 2008, mobile internet (data services) was one of the most fast-growing value-added services segment for Russian mobile network operators. This growth was stimulated by further deployment of 3G networks, increase in the number of mobile internet users and consumed data. After economic conditions began crumbling, mobile web has become the most important countermeasure to ARPU decrease.

The main results of Russian mobile internet market in 2008 are as follows:

Last week Russian WiMAX operator Yota announced that Yota Media and Yap-Yap services have become available for every Internet user. To begin using Yota's vast library of licensed multimedia content you have to sign up by visiting the web site www.yota.ru. You don't even have to be a Yota subscriber.

Yota Music is a service of Yota Media that allows listening to music from Yota's catalog at any time online. Yota Music collection features over 360 000 of licensed tracks provided by world's largest record labels. It comprises renowned hits as well as rare tracks.

VimpelCom (which operates under the Beeline trademark) announces commercial launch of 3G network in Novosibirsk, with data transfer rate up to 2 Mbps. Novosibirsk is the third-largest city (population is 1,390 mln. residents), after Moscow and Saint Petersburg, and the administrative center of Novosibirsk Region. It is also the largest city in Siberia.

Beeline started building 3G network in the city about two years ago – in spring 2007. In early 2009 the carrier has gained permission for commercial launch.

MTS Uzbekistan, 100% subsidiary of JSC Mobile TeleSystems, announces that it has initiated a trial launch of mobile TV service.

The service operates in UMTS 3G network and is based on the TV services license issued by Uzbek Communication and Information Agency. MTS Uzbekistan together with Uzbekistan National Television and Radio Broadcasting Company has started broadcasting two channels «Uzbekistan» and «TV Markaz» in trial mode.

MTS Uzbekistan 3G network was commercially launched in December, 2008. To date operator offers paid 3G services in five cities – Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, Urgench, and Khiva. Initially, subscribers located in 3G network coverage zone were able to use mobile services such as Videozvonok (videocall) and Skorostnoy Internet 3G (high-speed mobile internet).