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  • Henk van Dalen - new VimpelCom's CFO- VimpelCom (which operates under the Beeline trademark) announced that Henk van Dalen will become Chief Financial Officer and a member of the Management Board of the VimpelCom Ltd. group. The appointment will be effective on September 1, 2010. Henk van Dalen is CFO and a member of the Board of Management of TNT N.V., an international express and mail delivery services company, publicly listed and traded on Euronext Amsterdam, with operations in more than 200 countries and about 160,000 employees. Before becoming CFO of TNT in 2006, Henk van Dalen worked for 30 years at DSM N.V., a Euronext Amsterdam listed company involved in the production of nutritional, pharmaceutical and chemical products. Mr. van Dalen was group CFO of DSM from 2000 to 2006 and managed various divisions in the period 1990 – 2000.
  • Elena Shmatova - new VimpelCom's CEO- VimpelCom (which operates under the Beeline trademark) announced that its Board approved changes to the reporting structure of the Company. The reporting structure will be divided into four business units--Russia, Ukraine, CIS and International--that will report to the Company’s headquarters in Amsterdam. In connection with the restructuring, Elena Shmatova has been appointed the General Director of OJSC “VimpelCom” and will lead the Russia business unit. The Ukraine business unit will continue to be led by Igor Lytovchenko, President of Kyivstar. The CIS business unit will continue to be led by Dmitry Kromsky.
  • “VimpelCom Ltd.” to buy "OJSC VimpelCom"- “VimpelCom Ltd.” (“VimpelCom Ltd.” or the “Company”) (NYSE: VIP) today announced that it has delivered the squeeze-out demand notice and related material required to be provided under applicable Russian law to OJSC "Vimpel-Communications" ("OJSC VimpelCom"). As described in VimpelCom Ltd.'s final prospectus dated March 25, 2010, all OJSC VimpelCom shares and American Depositary Shares ("ADSs") not tendered to VimpelCom Ltd. in its exchange offers to holders of OJSC VimpelCom shares and ADSs are subject to a mandatory squeeze-out procedure under Russian law. Today, VimpelCom Ltd. commenced the squeeze-out procedure through which it will acquire all remaining OJSC VimpelCom shares, including those represented by ADSs, for a cash payment of RUB 11,800 per share (which is equal to approximately US$382.18 per share at the exchange rate as of May 25, 2010).
  • Farimex Calls Off Telenor Lawsuit- A mysterious and minor shareholder in VimpelCom (which operates under the Beeline trademark) on Friday withdrew its lawsuit against Telenor, removing the final obstacle for the Norwegian telecoms firm and Alfa Group to merge their stakes in Russia's second-largest mobile operator and Ukraine's Kyivstar. A federal arbitration court in Tyumen dismissed a decision from a lower court in Omsk, which had ruled in favor of Farimex Products on fining Telenor $1.7 billion.
  • Beeline rolls out mobile DVB-H TV in Moscow- VimpelCom (which operates under the Beeline trademark) has announced test launch of mobile DVB-H TV service in Moscow city, capital of Russia. Mobile TV service Beeline provides its users with the ability to watch common TV channels on mobile. Users can watch eleven channels. While service operates in beta mode, it is available free of charge.
  • TOP-20 Russian content- and service-providers for September 2009 - VimpelCom's Rating- VimpelCom (which operates under the Beeline trademark) published the rating of content-providers for September 2009. Top-20 is based on total fee paid to companies by VimpelCom for providing services via partner programs (voice, SMS, WAP). Top 5 companies in the rating are Zed Russian (former INFON), A1, i-Free, SMS Online, and IncoreMedia. A new company RM-Invest (SMS-Dostup) appeared in the list. 1. Zed Russia (INFON) 2. A1 3. i-Free 4. SMS Online 5. IncoreMedia 6. Neva Line 7. Plastic Media 8. Next Media Channels (part of Next Media Group) 9. Iricom 10. Inform-Mobil/IMMO
  • TOP-20 Russian content- and service-providers for August 2009 - VimpelCom's Rating- VimpelCom (which operates under the Beeline trademark) published the rating of content-providers for September 2009. Top-20 is based on total fee paid to companies by VimpelCom for providing services via partner programs (voice, SMS, WAP). Top 5 companies in the rating are A1, Zed Russia (INFON), i-Free, IncoreMedia, and SMS Online. 1. A1 2. Zed Russian (former INFON) 3. i-Free 4. IncoreMedia 5. SMS Online 6. Neva Line 7. Plastic Media 8. Next Media Channels (part of Next Media Group) 9. Iricom 10. Inform-Mobil/IMMO
  • VimpelCom board of directors recommends interim dividend payment- VimpelCom (which operates under the Beeline trademark), today announced that its Board of Directors approved convocation of an Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders of the Company to vote on an interim dividend payment based on the operating results for the nine months ending on September 30, 2009 (the «Shareholders Meeting»). The Shareholders Meeting will be held on December 17, 2009. The Board recommended that the Shareholders Meeting approve interim dividends based on the operating results for the nine months ending on September 30, 2009 (calculated in accordance with Russian statutory accounting principles) in the amount of RUR 190.13 per common share of VimpelCom stock (or approximately US$0.32 per American Depositary Share («ADS») based on the Russian Central Bank exchange rate as of September 30, 2009), amounting to a total of approximately RUR 9.75 billion (or approximately US$324 million based on the Russian Central Bank exchange rate as of September 30, 2009), to be payable within 60 days of the approval at the Shareholders Meeting.
  • Russian VimpelCom and Ukrainian Kyivstar announce merger- Telenor and Russia's Altimo have found a route out of their persistent battles over their Russian and Ukrainian assets and have announced plans to common assets in VimpelCom (which operates under the Beeline trademark) and Kyivstar to create a single company. Altimo is the telecoms investment arm of Russia's Alfa Group, controlled by Russian oligarch Mikhail Fridman. Telenor holds 56.5 per cent of the shares in Kyivstar. The remaining 43.5 per cent is held by Alfa affiliate Storm. Altimo also owns 6.6% of Turkcell, though which it has a secondary investment in Ukrainian mobile operator Astelit.
  • Colibria Interconnects MTS Mobile Instant Messaging with Megafon and Beeline- Colibria, in partnership with Acision, the world's leading messaging company, today announced that it has enabled Russia's largest operator, MTS, , to interconnect its 'Chat' Mobile Instant Messenger (MIM) service with MegaFon and VimpelCom (which operates under the Beeline trademark). This allows subscribers of the three operators to seamlessly exchange messages across their respective services. The new service, which will be jointly branded as 'Chat' across all three networks, builds on year-on-year growth in messaging for MTS since 2008. This trend is expected to continue by the expansion of messaging access across Russian subscriber communities.
  • VimpelCom enters Laos cellular market- Millicom has signed an agreement for the sale of its 74.1% holding in its Laos operation, to Russia's VimpelCom (which operates under the Beeline trademark) for approximately US$65 million in total cash proceeds, payable on completion. The transaction values the entire Laos operation at an enterprise value of approximately $102 million, which represents 7.5x estimated 2009 EBITDA. Completion of the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals, as required. If such approvals are obtained, completion is expected to take place before the end of 2009.
  • Russian mobile VAS market reached 55 bln rubles ($1.681 bln) in 1H09- J'son & Partners Consulting presents the key results of conducted research includes analysis of current situation and regions (America, Europe and Asia), a detailed review of mobile the further market development. The research contains the analysis of such mobile VAS as SMS, transfer, mobile commerce, mobile marketing and mobile TV. Size and structure of Russian mobile VAS market

    J'son & Partners Consulting estimates the volume of the mobile VAS market in Russia at 94 bln RUR (3.8 bln USD) in 2008, and at 55 bln RUR ($1.681 bln; at average currency rate 32,71 rubles per 1 US dollar) in the 1st half of 2009.

  • TOP-20 Russian content- and service-providers for June 2009 - VimpelCom's Rating - VimpelCom (which operates under the Beeline trademark) published the rating of content-providers for June 2009. Top-20 is based on total fee paid to companies by VimpelCom for providing services via partner programs (voice, SMS, WAP). Top 5 companies in the rating are A1, i-Free, Zed Russia, IncoreMedia and Neva Line.

    1. A1
    2. i-Free
    3. Zed Russia (INFON)
    4. IncoreMedia
    5. Neva Line
    6. SMS Online
    7. Next Media Channels (Next Media Group)
    8. Iricom
    9. Plastic Media
    10. Inform-Mobil/IMMO

  • Norway's Telenor loses appeal in Moscow court- A Russian court on Thursday denied an appeal by Norway's Telenor (TEL.OL) against a June 3 decision that rejected its request to stay enforcement of a $1.7 billion award payable to Russian mobile operator VimpelCom (which operates under the Beeline trademark) (VIP.N). Telenor had appealed against the June 3 decision by the Moscow Arbitration Court, which denied its request to stay enforcement of the fine and stop bailiffs selling off its stake in Vimpelcom to cover the cost. Telenor's appeal of the actual ruling is set for Sept. 30.
  • Beeline rolls out 3G in Lipetsk- VimpelCom (which operates under the Beeline trademark) announced commercial launch of mobile 3G network in Lipetsk. 3G networks support all services provided in 2G networks and some additional features such as high data transfer rate, comparable with broadband internet access (up to 7.2 MB per second). Now Beeline UMTS network is covering central sales office area and two other districts of the city. More districts are expected to be covered by the end of 2009.
  • VimpelCom starts operations under Beeline brand in Vietnam- VimpelCom (which operates under the Beeline trademark) officially announced the commercial launch of its mobile operations in Vietnam under the Beeline brand via GTEL-Mobile Joint Stock Company, mobile telecommunications joint venture in Vietnam. "With the start of our operations in Vietnam we are strengthening our positions in South-East Asia. The Vietnamese telecom market has a great potential with a young and dynamic population of more than 86 million people and a fast growing economy. Our partnership with such a reliable and professional local partner as GTEL Corp helped us achieve the result we had planned",- said Boris Nemsic, Chief Executive Officer, VimpelCom. "The launch in Vietnam follows our successful start in Cambodia where we have already commenced operations earlier this year", - noticed Vladimir Riabokon, Executive Vice President, International Business Development, VimpelCom.
  • Beeline launched RBT advertisement service in Kazakhstan - Kazakhstan cellular carrier KaR-Tel (part of VimpelCom, which operates under the Beeline trademark) has launched RBT-advertisement service named InfoTone for its subscribers. The service provides a sound file containing advertising information with musical background or subscriber's company anthem set instead of the standard tone by company workers for advertising purposes. Control and interface of the offered service is the same as in RBT-service FunTone available to all Beeline subscribers.

    KaR-Tel expects that the service will be popular with subscribers working in marketing, advertisement and sales, as they will be able to use the nonstandard communication channel for informing their clients about the company, its new products and services, special offers, discounts, etc.

  • VimpelCom issues ruble bonds in the equivalent amount of approximately $ 303 million- VimpelCom (which operates under the Beeline trademark) today announced that it has issued Russian ruble-denominated bonds through LLC VimpelCom-Invest, a consolidated Russian subsidiary of VimpelCom, in an aggregate principal amount of 10 billion Russian rubles, which is the equivalent of approximately $ 303 million at today's Central Bank of Russia exchange rate. The bonds are guaranteed by VimpelCom. The bonds are due on July 08, 2014. Interest will be paid semiannually. The annual interest rate for the first four payment periods is 15,2%. VimpelCom-Invest will determine the annual interest rate for subsequent periods based on market conditions. Bond holders will have the right to sell their bonds to VimpelCom-Invest when the annual interest rate for subsequent periods is announced at the end of the fourth payment period.
  • TOP-20 Russian content-providers for May 2009 - VimpelCom's Rating- VimpelCom (which operates under the Beeline trademark) published the rating of content-providers for May 2009. Top-20 is based on total fee paid to companies by VimpelCom for providing services via partner programs (voice, SMS, WAP). Top 5 companies in the rating are A1, i-Free, Zed Russia, IncoreMedia and Neva Line. 1. A1 2. i-Free 3. Zed Russia (former INFON) 4. IncoreMedia 5. Neva Line 6. Iricom 7. Next Media Channels 8. Plastic Media 9. SMS Online 10. Inform-Mobil/IMMO
  • TOP-20 Russian content-providers for April 2009 - VimpelCom's Rating- VimpelCom (which operates under the Beeline trademark) (which operates under the Beeline trademark) published the rating of content-providers for April 2009. Top-20 is based on total fee paid to companies by VimpelCom for providing services via partner programs (voice, SMS, WAP). Top 5 companies in the rating are A1, INFON, i-Free, Neva Line and IncoreMedia. 1. A1 2. Zed Russia (former INFON) 3. i-Free 4. Neva Line 5. IncoreMedia 6. Iricom 7. Inform-Mobil/IMMO 8. Next Media Channels 9. Plastic Media 10. SMS Online
  • VimpelCom shareholders re-elect board- VimpelCom (which operates under the Beeline trademark) announced that at its Annual General Shareholders Meeting (AGSM) held today in Moscow shareholders approved all agenda items and elected a new Board of Directors. Holders of approximately 80.99% of the Company's shares were represented at the AGSM. The composition of the Board of Directors did not change. For more information about the Company's Board of Directors, please visit VimpelCom's web site, www.vimpelcom.com, in the «People/Directors» section. Alexey Reznikovich was re-elected as the Chairman of the Board of Directors at a Board meeting held following the AGSM.
  • Russian mobile VAS market reached $856.2 mln in 1Q09- As estimated by consulting company AC&M Consulting, gross revenue of Russian mobile value added services market in the first quarter 2009 reached 856.2 million US dollars (29041.7 million roubles). In the fourth quarter 2008 revenue was 994.9 mln dollars (27124.7 mln. roubles). In roubles the revenue grew since 4Q08 by 7.1%, but in dollars it decreased in 1Q09 by 13.9%. Mobile VAS ARPU in the fourth quarter fell to 1.5 dollars from 1.8 dollars in 4Q08. In roubles ARPU grew by 6.7% from 47.9 roubles in 4Q08 to 51.1 roubles in 1Q09. Mobile VAS share in the general revenue of operators in 1Q09 increased up to 17.7% from 15.1% in 4Q08.
  • Research and Markets forecasts the future of Russian cellular market- Research and Markets has announced the addition of IE Market Research Corp.'s new report "2Q09 Russia Mobile Operator Forecast, 2008 - 2013" to their offering. Total subscribers in Russia to reach 201.8 million in 2013 with MTS losing market share to Vimpelcom and Megafon over the next five years Mobile Operator Forecast on Russia provides over 65 operational and financial metrics for Russia's wireless market and is one of the best forecasts in the industry. We provide six-year forecasts at the operator level going out to 2013. We also provide quarterly historical and forecast data starting in 1Q2003 and ending in 4Q2013. Operators covered for Russia include: MTS, VimpelCom, and MegaFon. Our Mobile Operator Forecasts are updated quarterly and are available for one-time delivery or through regular updates.
  • VimpelCom to release 4Q08 and full year 2008 financial report on Wednseday, May 13- VimpelCom (which operates under the Beeline trademark) announced that it will webcast its conference call on its fourth quarter and audited annual 2008 financial and operating results on Wednesday, May 13, 2009, at 6:30 p.m. Moscow time (10:30 a.m. ET). The conference call will be hosted by Boris Nemsic, Chief Executive Officer, and Alexander Torbakhov, General Director. They will be joined by Elena Shmatova, Chief Financial Officer, Kent McNeley, Chief Marketing Officer, Andrey Patoka, Head of B2B Business Unit and Dmitry Pleskonos, Head of CIS Business Development.
  • Alexander Malis new CEO of Euroset- On April, 23 Russian mobile phone retailer Euroset announced the appointment of Alexander Malis to the position of President and CEO of Euroset company. Formerly Malis held the post of Director of Broadband Access Development unit in VimpelCom. Euroset has 5.1 thousand stores in Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Belorussia, Moldavia, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan. Company's turnover for 2007 was $5.6 billion, revenue – $3.144 billion. In September 2008 businessman Alexander Mamut bought 100% of the company for $1.25 billion with a debt, which at that time was $850 millions. Later Mamut sold 49.9% of Euroset to VimpelCom for $226 million with an option to buy 25% more.
  • Armenian carrier ArmenTel awards its 500,000th video-caller in 3G network- 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.
  • Beeline among world Top 100 most valuable global brands- VimpelCom (which operates under the Beeline trademark) announced that its Beeline brand was included in the BrandZ Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands ranking and was named as one of the world's 10 most valuable telecom brands. The Beeline brand ranked no. 72, with an estimated brand value of $8.9 billion. Beeline showed the highest brand contribution index of any brand on the Russian market, demonstrating the brand's effectiveness in driving business earnings.
  • Largest Russian carriers offer IM-service «Chat» - the first joint product of «the great three»- VimpelCom (which operates under the Beeline trademark), MTS, the largest cellular network operator in Russia and CIS and MegaFon have announced the launch of their joint service «Chat» in all regions of Russia. The service allows subscribers of «the three great» with almost any handset model to send and receive instant text messages unlimitedly. Incoming messages appear in the application window in a dialogue mode, so users can track the history of conversation and feel more comfortable while communicating. Subscribers can also use special icons (emoticons) and manage their status in the chat that allows invite those who are free for chat, and leave alone those who are busy.
  • MOBI.Money and Informtel launch mobile train ticket service in Russia- MOBI.Money announced that in March 2009 its mobile service «Express-Spravka 0633», which is handled by Informtel company, started providing a new additional option for mobile users. The new feature allows paying a train ticket ordered in Express-Spravka 0633 instantly via mobile phone. Now it is available only for VimpelCom (which operates under the Beeline trademark) subscribers. The service operates 24 hours a day on all the territory of Russia within Beeline coverage area. To get the ticket the user should do the following.
  • Beeline to forecast weather in Yekaterinburg for free- VimpelCom (which operates under the Beeline trademark) has launched «Pogoda na zavtra» («Weather forecast for tomorrow») mobile service for its subscribers in Yekaterinburg city. Those subscribers who decided to sign up for the service will receive an SMS message with weather forecast in Yekaterinburg and the nearby region each day. The forecast will be provided by FOBOS Center. The message will contain information about forecast air temperature, cloudiness, precipitation, atmosphere pressure, wind direction and force.
  • J'son & Partners: 190.4 mln registered SIM cards in Russia as of February 2009- J'son & Partners reports that in February 2009 the number of registered SIM cards in Russia reached 190.4 million. Penetration rate in Russia increased to 134%, in Moscow region – to 185%. Compound subscribers base increased by 1.1 million (0.56%) in February 2009. During February 2009 monthly subscribers base growth decreased by 44% since February 2008. During last 12 months compound user base of Russian operators increased by 23.9 mln. subscribers, or 14%. In March 1, 2009 MegaFon took the first place in growth figures – its subscriber base grew by 7 mln. VimpelCom (which operates under the Beeline trademark) got the second position, adding 6.6 new subscribers. The third place went to MTS with 6.4 new subscribers.
  • VimpelCom launches 3G network in Novosibirsk- 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.
  • VimpelCom RBT-service FunTone user base reached 600 000 in Kazakhstan - VimpelCom (which operates under the Beeline trademark) reported that by the end of February 2009 the number of RBT-service FunTone users exceeded 600,000 subscribers. Ringbacktone service FunTone was launched in September 2007. The catalogue of tunes available for installing instead of standard dial tones offers 2 000 tracks.

    FunTone quickly became one of the most popular Beeline value-added services. Service availability does not depend on the handset and does not require any special setup. The service is also very simple. Switching on/off FunTone and monitoring of the tunes is possible via SMS, WAP, IVR, and website www.funtone.kz.

  • MTS to deploy 3G-network in Armenia with Huawei- MTS announces that it has chosen Huawei Technologies as its hardware supplier for deploying MTS 3G UMTS network in Armenia. Huawei is going to provide base stations to «Vivacell-MTS» and «third generation» controllers. Commercial launch of 3G network in Armenia is scheduled for spring 2009. First 3G network segments will be deployed in Yerevan, Gjumri and Vanadzor cities.
  • ComNews Research: 3G Traffic on the Rise in Russia- ComNews Research published a report about the development of 3G networks in Russia. Deployment of UMTS networks by three largest Russian operators in 2008 has become a catalyst of 3G traffic growth in Russia. In 4Q it increased by 62% sequentially. During first four months of operation new networks captured 20% market share from the first Russian 3G-operator Sky Link (CDMA2000). Most of 3G traffic in Russia is still generated by CDMA2000 networks. However, if UMTS networks growth keeps its current rate the three largest Russian operators will dominate in Russian mobile broadband market in half a year.
  • Beeline launches first commercial 3G network in Central region of Russia- VimpelCom (which operates under the Beeline trademark) has announced the commercial launch of its mobile 3G network in Tambov. To date this is the first commercial UMTS network in Central region of Russian Federation. According to company's data, at the moment VimpelCom equipment in Tambov supports data transfer rates up to 1.3 Mb/sec. Today UMTS network in Tambov covers most densely populated parts of the city. That means 40% of Tambov mobile subscribers can use 3G services. The company plans to extend the network during the year. In 2007 Tambov population was 279.8 thousand citizens.
  • TOP-20 Russian content-providers for February 2009 - VimpelCom's Rating- VimpelCom (which operates under the Beeline trademark) (which operates under the Beeline trademark) published the rating of content-providers for February 2009. Top-20 is based on total fee paid to companies by VimpelCom for providing services via partner programs (voice, SMS, WAP). Top 5 companies in the rating are A1, i-Free, INFON, Iricom, Neva Line. 1. A1 2. i-Free 3. INFON 4. Iricom 5. Neva Line 6. SMS Online 7. IncoreMedia 8. Inform-Mobil/IMMO 9. Next Media Channels 10. Plastic Media
  • VimpelCom signed 8 billion rubles and US$250 million credit agreements with Sberbank- VimpelCom (which operates under the Beeline trademark) today announced that it has signed two non-revolving credit line agreements with Sberbank in the amount of RUR 8 billion and US$250 million. The three year loan agreement with Sberbank in the amount of RUR 8 billion bears interest at a maximum rate of 19.0% per annum and matures in December, 2011. The four year loan agreement with Sberbank in the amount of US$250 million bears interest at a maximum rate of 13.0% per annum and matures in December, 2012. Both loans are secured by a pledge of telecom equipment.
  • TOP-20 Russian content-providers for January 2009 - VimpelCom's Rating- VimpelCom (which operates under the Beeline trademark) published the rating of content-providers for January 2009. Top-20 is based on total fee paid to companies by VimpelCom for providing services via partner programs (voice, SMS, WAP). Top 5 companies in the rating are i-Free, A1, INFON, Iricom, Neva Line. 1. i-Free 2. A1 3. INFON 4. Iricom 5. Neva Line 6. Next Media Channels (part of Next Media Group) 7. IncoreMedia 8. Playfon 9. Inform Mobil 10. Plastic Media
  • TOP-20 Russian Content-providers for December 2008 - VimpelCom's Rating- VimpelCom (which operates under the Beeline trademark) published the ratings of content-providers for December 2008. Top-20 is based on total fee paid to companies by VimpelCom for providing services via partner programs (voice, SMS, WAP). Top 5 companies in the rating are A1, i-Free, INFON, Iricom, Neva Line.
  • VimpelCom launches 3G in Syktyvkar- VimpelCom (which operates under the Beeline trademark) announced the commercial launch of «third generation» (3G) mobile network in Ezhva district of Syktyvkar city, capital of Komi Republic. Syktyvkar population is 230,980 people (in 2008).

    At the moment population of Ezhva is about sixty thousand people. 3G network covers 100% territory of the district. Network is deployed with the help of Huawei Technologies equipment and is based on UMTS standard.

  • Alexander Izosimov CEO of VimpelCom will step down in April; new CEO is Boris Nemsic- VimpelCom (which operates under Beeline trademark) announced today that Alexander Izosimov, CEO and General Director of VimpelCom, will step down on April 2, 2009. The board of Vimpelcom directors also announced that Boris Nemsic will become the CEO of VimpelCom and Alexander Torbakov will take the position of General Director of VimpelCom on April 2, 2009. Boris Nemsic is currently the CEO of Telecom Austria Group, Austria's telecoms market leader in mobile and fixed telecommunications operating in eight countries.
  • Telenor to appeal against $1.7 billion fine imposed by Russian court- Farimex alleged that Telenor's nominees on the VimpelCom (which operates under the Beeline trademark) board delayed VimpelCom's acquisition of Ukrainian Radio Systems. Norwegian mobile operator Telenor has said it will appeal the decision of the Eighth Arbitrazh Appellate Court in Omsk, Russia, holding Telenor liable for approximately $1.7 billion in damages. The Omsk court has heard from the start the claim by Farimex Products, a British Virgin Islands company, against Telenor, in which Farimex alleged that Telenor's nominees on the VimpelCom board delayed VimpelCom's acquisition of Ukrainian mobile operator Ukrainian Radio Systems (URS).
  • Vimpelcom to issue ruble bonds in the amount of 30 billion RUR ($ 830 000)- VimpelCom (which operates under the Beeline trademark) on 10th of February announced that it intends to submit to the Russian Federal Financial Markets Service documentation required for the potential issuance of Russian ruble-denominated bonds through LLC VimpelCom-Invest, a consolidated Russian subsidiary of VimpelCom. The bonds may be issued depending on VimpelCom's funding needs within a period of one year from the date on which the Russian Federal Financial Markets Service registers the submitted documentation.
  • Vimpelcom board of directors recommends against dividend- VimpelCom (which operates under the Beeline trademark), one of three largest Russian mobile operators, today announced that the board of directors of the company has decided unanimously to recommend to the annual general shareholders meeting that the company not pay dividends on its common stock based on 2008 results.
  • Russian MTS the second largest mobile operator in Europe- Research says MTS, VimpelCom (which operates under the Beeline trademark) and MegaFon are now among the top ten biggest operators. Wireless Intelligence has highlighted the rise of Russia's mobile operators as a continental force in its latest rankings.

    MTS Group, which runs networks in six Eastern European markets including Russia and Ukraine, is now the second-largest operator group in Europe on a proportional basis behind Vodafone.

  • iPhone weak sales in Russia - During first three months of official iPhone sales in Russia there were sold no more than 120 - 180 thousand devices. According to some analytics, during 4Q there were shipped even less - only 89,000 iPhone 3G devices. Taking into account that the three largest operators in Russia obliged to buy 3.5 mln iPhones from Apple in the next three years, 1.5 mln of the phones go to VimpelCom (to be purchased in two years) and 1 mln goes to MTS (to be purchased in three years), reported anonymous operators' managers. According to MegaFon's report for 3Q08, the operator is to buy 1 mln iPhones from Apple during two-years timeframe. Therefore, to avoid losses since the fourth quarter 2008 VimpelCom must sell 187,500 iPhones each quarter, MTS – 83,300 iPhones, and MegaFon – 125,000.
  • Vimpelcom does not see Russia telecom market down much- VimpelCom (which operates under the Beeline trademark), Russia's No.2 mobile carrier, does not think the Russian consumer telecommunications market is shrinking that much and sees the economy rebounding faster than in the 1998 Russian crisis. "I don't think we are going to see that much of a contraction," Chief Executive Officer Alexander Izosimov told Reuters at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos. "Talking to the bankers here we feel much better, much healthier," he said, adding that he did not expect Russians to dramatically change behaviour in terms of communication.
  • VimpelCom launches 3G network in Yekaterinburg and Nizhny Tagil- VimpelCom (which operates under the Beeline trademark) announces commercial launch of 3G network in two cities in Sverdlovsk region - Yekaterinburg and Nizhny Tagil. The population of these two cities comprises 40% of the total region population. Sverdlovsk region is the largest in Ural. Its population is 4 395.6 people (as of 1 Jan. 2008).
  • AC&M Consulting Reports Russian Cellular Subscribers Base Grew to 188 mln; Ukraine Has 55.8 mln- AC&M Consulting has published a report stating that number of mobile subscribers (valid SIM-cards) in Russia increased to 188 mln in December 2008. In Ukraine cellular subscriber (valid SIM-cards) base grew to 55.8 mln for the same period of time. Russia:
  • Number of subscribers (valid SIM cards) increased to 188 mln, up 3.5 mln from November 2008, 15.0 mln from December 2007;
  • Penetration increased to 129.4% (up 2.4% from November 2008, 10.3% from December 2007);
  • Euroset to undergo complete restructuring- New owners of the largest Russian mobile retailer Euroset, businessman Alexander Mamut and VimpelCom (which operates under the Beeline trademark), have decided to perform complete restructuring of the company business. Euroset has asked Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) for permission to attach 50 corporate bodies, which form the company, to joint-stock company В«Euroset OptВ».
  • Alexander Izosimov, CEO of Russian VimpelCom Elected as GSMA Chairman- Group CEO of VimpelCom takes over for a two-year term. The board of the GSM Association has elected Alexander Izosimov, the Group CEO of VimpelCom, as its new Chairman for a two-year term. He replaces outgoing Chairman Craig Ehrlich, a board member of Hutchison Mobile Communications, who had served for seven years. Ehrlich will remain on the GSMA board. Bill Hague, Executive Vice President of AT&T, was elected as Deputy Chairman. In full the new-look GSMA board comprises:
  • Vimpelcom (Beeline) announces new appointments- VimpelCom (Beeline trademark) today announced changes in the Company's management team. Nikolay Pryanishnikov, Executive Vice President for International Business Development, will leave the Company to become the President of Microsoft Russia.
  • VimpelCom acquires 49,9% of Euroset- VimpelCom today announced that it has acquired 49.9% of Morefront Holdings Ltd, a company that owns 100% of the Euroset Group ("Euroset"), from Rambert Management Ltd, a company controlled by A&NN Capital Management Fund, for approximately US$226 million. VimpelCom as a minority shareholder does not expect to consolidate Euroset results and will not guarantee any of its obligations. In addition, as part of the transaction, VimpelCom has agreed on put and call arrangements, exercisable after three years, with respect to a further 25% of the shares of Morefront Holdings Ltd.
  • Apple will sell 3,5 mln iPhones within 2 years- Analyst citing industry sources close to Apple's local negotiations claimed that the company is going to sold 3,5 mln iPhones. May be this volume includes 600 000 already iPhones sold on Russian black market. Reuters said that MTS will start selling iPhone in October, with Vimpelcom and MegaFon set to cut similar deals.
  • Russian mobile internet audience exceeds 13 mln- One in four Muscovites accessing the internet at least once a month does so with the help of a mobile phone rather than a computer. Those are the findings of research conducted by TNS Gallup Media in June. Moscow's monthly internet audience (the number of people accessing the internet at least once during the course of a month) in June was 5.7 million people, while across Russia it was 24.5 million, says the research from TNS, which has been seen by Vedomosti.
  • Russian mobile operator MTS hit by $50 mln back tax claim- Mobile TeleSystems (MTS), Russia's largest cell phone operator, said on Tuesday it had received back tax claims totaling 1.13 billion rubles (around $49 billion). The Federal Tax Service's claims on the company for 2005-2006, including penalties and fines, relate mostly to inter-operator settlements, MTS said. The company intends to challenge the tax claim in a court of law. The Tax Service has filed similar back tax claims for VimpelCom, Russia's second largest cell phone company operating under the Beeline brand, and Sonic Duo, a subsidiary of mobile operator MegaFon.
  • VimpelCom enters the Cambodian cellular market- VimpelCom, the secont largest cellular operator in Russia and CIS, announced today that it has acquired a 90% stake in the Cambodian company Sotelco, which holds a GSM 900/1800 license and related frequencies for the territory of Cambodia. The transaction was made through the purchase of 90% of Sotelco's parent company, Atlas Trade Limited, for US$28 million from VimpelCom's largest shareholder Altimo. The remaining 10% of Atlas will stay with a local partner, a Cambodian entrepreneur.
  • Volantis will restructure Vimpelcom's content storefront- Russian operator VimpelCom (Beeline trademark) has appointed Volantis to re-structure its content storefront. The platform will initially be used by Vimpelcom's opco Beeline, with 42 million subscribers, and will subsequently be integrated into six more, with a group reach of 80 million. Volantis' technology helps operators manage and sell content through a variety of channels including WAP, SMS, IVR and USSD – and optimises products for thousands of handsets.
  • Vimpelcom reorganizes its structure- «Vimpel-Communications» («VimpelCom»), a leading provider of telecommunications services in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) today announced that it has made changes in its organizational structure to more closely align the structure with VimpelCom's strategic goals and to boost the integration of its fixed-line operations. The role of the new business unit is to combine the mobile and fixed business segments in Russia into one business unit.
  • Russian Cellcos Continue to Wait for 3G Greenlight in Moscow: Will WiMAX Players Take Advantage?- Delegates at Informa Telecoms & Media's sixth annual Russia and CIS telecoms industry conference heard UMTS Forum President Jean-Pierre Bienaime express concern about the ongoing delay with the launch of 3G services in the crucial Moscow market.
  • Russian operator MTS was ranked 89th in the Brandz top 100 - Last week, marketing analysis firm Millward Brown released its third annual Brandz 100 ranking. MTS, Russia's top mobile phone operator, was ranked 89th, making it the first and only Russian brand to appear in the top 100. The rankings are compiled by comparing a company's earnings, based on its country of origin and market position, with the earnings that come from the company's most loyal customers, which can be attributed to the brand itself.
  • Vimpelcom announces intent to raise financing in the international bond markets- VimpelCom announced its intention to raise, subject to market and other conditions, debt financing by the issuance of notes in the international bond markets. The terms of the notes, including aggregate principal amount, interest rate and maturity date, have yet to be determined. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the issuance in part to refinance its existing bridge facility entered into in connection with its acquisition of Golden Telecom, Inc. The offering of notes is currently anticipated to close during the second quarter of 2008.
  • Vimpelcom's TOP-20 content-providers for March 2008- Vimpelcom published the ratings of content-providers for March 2008. Top-20 is based on total fee paid to company by Vimpelcom for provided services (voice, SMS, WAP) for partner program. 1. i-Free 2. INFON 3. ?1 4. SMS Media Solutions 5. PlayFon 6. Iricom 7. Terminal (Nikita Mobile, part of Solvo Media Group) 8. Forte-IT 9. Plastic Media 10. Neva Line 11. Shamrock Games 12. Svyaznoi Zagruzka (part of Svyaznoi mobile phones retail chain) 13. MGTS 14. Artphone 15. JetMobile 16. Avant Mobile 17. SMX Communications (Rambler subsidiary) 18. Interactive Services
  • ComNews Research: Mobile VAS market in Russia reached $2.8 billion in 2007- Russian analytic firm ComNews Research published its' report about Russian mobile VAS market in 2007. Data from ComNews showed that the market reached $2.8 bln. Mobile VAS contributed 13,5% of overall cellular market revenue in Russia. During 2007 mobile internet almost caught up with content services sector and did exceeded the latter in 3Q07 demonstrating the fastest growth rate. During 2007 mobile internet users base increased 25% to 20,5 mln. users.
  • Vimpel Communications Is a Telecom VIP- I'm starting to get very interested in Vimpel Communications (VIP), a Russian mobile (moving to integrated) telecom player. I've invested in this stock a long time ago in my personal account (2004-2005 time frame) and after falling asleep a few times watching it do nothing, sold it off - of course much too early. Starting in middle 2006 it's rocketed, along with its peer Mobile Telesystems (MBT). The pickings in US listed Russian stocks are extremely limited; most choose to list in London (I suppose its a Cold War thing...).
  • Jean-Pierre Vandromme to Remain as CEO of Golden Telecom- Open Joint Stock Company "Vimpel-Communications" ("VimpelCom" or the "Company") (NYSE: VIP), a leading provider of telecommunications services in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States («CIS»), today announced that Jean-Pierre Vandromme, the Chief Executive Officer of Golden Telecom, Inc. («Golden Telecom»), has agreed to extend his contract term until December 31, 2009. Golden Telecom was recently acquired by a subsidiary of VimpelCom.
  • VimpelCom announces fourth quarter and audited twelve month 2007 financial and operating results- «Vimpel-Communications» («VimpelCom», "Beeline" trademark) (NYSE: VIP), a leading provider of telecommunications services in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) today announced its financial and operating results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2007.
  • Russia mobile subscriber base grows by 0.95% and reached 166 mln- The Russia mobile subscriber base has grown by 0.95% up to 166 mln 410 thousand (number of SIM cards) in February 2008 as compared to January 2008. The given data is provided by a monthly analytical account Advanced Communications & Media (AC&M), RBC reports. The mobile penetration level reached 114.6% as of February 29th 2008.
  • MTS, Vimpelcom Hope Chatty Russians Can Prolong Growth- Russia's two biggest mobile operators will struggle to maintain their impressive growth unless they squeeze more out of customers at home and successfully exploit foreign markets, experts say. U.S.-listed Mobile TeleSystems, or MTS, and VimpelCom have captivated foreign investors, with annual revenue growth of more than 25% for the past five years, as Russia's increasingly affluent population embraces cellular services.
  • BlackBerry technology now available in Russia- Several thousand BlackBerry smart phones are to go on sale in Russia this year through the country's two leading mobile operators, the companies' press services said on Friday. In 2008, MTS and VimpelCom received the go ahead to import several thousand handheld devices, developed by the Canadian company Research In Motion (RIM), which support push e-mail, web browsing and internet access, as well as a full range of multimedia and mobile phone services.
  • Beeline exchanges roaming for Far East- The Tele2 operator has started providing national roaming in Russian within Beeline's network. Tele2 explains that a 10-year strategic agreement on national roaming foresees the sale of the operator's daughter company in Irkutsk to Vimpelcom. Tele2 has started providing national roaming on the basis of Beeline's network. Now Tele2 subscribers can communicate in all those regions not covered by the Sweden operator, if Beeline operates in the given regions. The company believes the given agreement enables it to pretend for the title of the fourth national mobile operator.
  • VimpelCom Announces Completion of the Merger of Its Subsidiary With and Into Golden Telecom, Inc.- Moscow and New York (February 29, 2008) - Open Joint Stock Company «Vimpel-Communications» («VimpelCom») (NYSE: VIP), today announced the completion of the merger of its indirect wholly-owned subsidiary, Lillian Acquisition, Inc. («Lillian Acquisition») with and into Golden Telecom, Inc. («Golden Telecom»). Because Lillian Acquisition was the owner of at least 90 percent of the shares of common stock of Golden Telecom outstanding immediately prior to the merger, under applicable Delaware law no action was required by Golden Telecom's other stockholders to effect the merger.
  • Vimpelcom's Director General not elected into Golden Telecom's Board of Directors- Alexander Izosimov, Director General of Vimpelcom (Beeline trademark), was not elected into Golden Telecom's Board of Directors. It should be recollected that earlier Alexander Izosimov was included into Vimpelcom's list to be elected into Golden Telecom's Board of Directors, RBC reports. According to the company's statement, COO Peter Covell, CFO Elena Shmatova, Dmitry Pleskonos – Vice President - General Manager, Moscow Region, and Alexander Gersh have been elected into the Board of Directors.
  • Research and Markets offer 65 Operational and Financial Metrics for the Russia Wireless Market- Research and Markets announces the addition of new IE Market Research "1Q08 Mobile Forecast: Russia, 2007 - 2010" to their offering. It covers quarterly historical data starting in 3Q2003 and ending in 3Q2007. The analytics company also provides four-year forecasts at the operator level going out to 2010. Operators covered for Russia include: MTS, VimpelCom, MegaFon and others. Research and Markets' Mobile Forecasts are updated quarterly and are available for one-time delivery or through regular updates.
  • Ericsson to deliver WCDMA/HSPA network to VimpelCom in Russia- Ericsson and Russian operator VimpelCom have signed an agreement for the supply and implementation of a WCDMA/HSPA network, plus associated services, to cover seven out of nine macro regions across Russia, including Moscow, the North Caucasus, Siberia, Volga, Northwest Russia, South Russia and the Urals.
  • 3G: first beyond the Urals and then in Moscow- MTS intends to launch commercial 3G network in Krasnoyarsk and Norilsk. The company plans to invest about $1.55 bln into 3G development by 2011. Vimpelcom and Megafon do not name the regions, in which modern 3G networks will be launched in 2008. Specialists are sure networks will be launched in not more than 15 cities, Moscow is not included as there are difficulties with frequency release in Moscow.
  • VimpelCom subsidiary commences tender offer for 100% of the outstanding shares of Golden Telecomfor $105 per share in cash- Moscow and New York (January 18, 2008) - Open Joint Stock Company «Vimpel-Communications» («VimpelCom» or the "Company") (NYSE: VIP) announced today that its indirect subsidiary, Lillian Acquisition, Inc. («Lillian Acquisition»), has commenced a cash tender offer for 100% of the outstanding shares of common stock of Golden Telecom, Inc. («Golden Telecom») (NASDAQ: GLDN) under the previously announced merger agreement between Lillian Acquisition, VimpelCom Finance B.V. and Golden Telecom.
  • VimpelCom Announces Successful Completion by its Subsidiary of Tender Offer for Common Stock of Golden Telecom, Inc- Moscow and New York (February 18, 2008) - Open Joint Stock Company «Vimpel-Communications» («VimpelCom») (NYSE: VIP), today announced the success of the tender offer by its indirect wholly-owned subsidiary, Lillian Acquisition, Inc. («Lillian Acquisition»), for any and all of the outstanding shares of common stock of Golden Telecom, Inc. («Golden Telecom») (NASDAQ: GLDN) at a purchase price of $105.00 per share in cash.
  • Vimpelcom gets Vietnam mobile license- Vietnam has licensed a mobile services venture that includes Russia's No.2 mobile phone operator Vimpelcom (VIP.N: Quote, Profile, Research), a state-run newspaper said on Friday. Gtel venture, formed by the police ministry and Vimpelcom, will provide GSM-technology services and build telecoms infrastructure, the Vietnam Economic Times newspaper quoted an Information and Communications Ministry official as saying. Vimpelcom said last September that it will invest up to $1 billion in the venture that may become the centre of its Asian operations.
  • Russian record: 100 SMS and 6 hours of talks a day- Subscribers of the Big Three mobile operators are spending more and more time talking. According to the representatives of the mobile companies, first of all the mentioned fact might be related to the improvement in the living standards on the citizens. The most sociable subscribers nominated for registration in the Russian Book of Records spend about 6 hours a day speaking on the phone and send about 100 SMS.
  • Beeline: MTS spoils copyright holders- Being late with the launch of Ring Back Tone service, Vimpelcom intends to insist on changing the existing procedure of payment interaction with the given service copyright holders in favor of mobile operators. Megafon stays by Vimpelcom's side, while MTS is against any changes. If the operators do not manage to agree upon the RBT unified format, then, according to experts, the given service promotion in Russia might suffer.
  • Vimpelcom released content-providers ratings for November and December 2007- November ratings we published yesterday, but today Vimpelcom («Beeline» trademark, the second largest mobile operator in Russia after MTS) published ratings of content-providers for December and «revised» ratings for November. No changes for Top10 November. Here are the Top20 content-providers for the last two months of 2007. Ratings are based upon the total fee received by the content-provider which participates in the Vimpelcom partner program. The more fee content-provider gets the more closer it to the top of the list.
  • Vimpelcom moves to new payment transfer system: Beepay XP- The companies Vimpelcom (Beeline trademark) and Jet Infosystems claim the operator to have moved to Beepay XP new payment transfer system. The given system unique for Russia was developed by the project team uniting Vimpelcom, Jet Systems and Kabira specialists.
  • Top10 Vimpelcom's content-providers for November 2007- Vimpelcom ( "Beeline" trademark), the second largest operator in Russia, has published its' rating of content and service providers for November 2007. Companies are ranked in descending order according to the income from sales of voice and SMS services to Beeline subscribers through their partnership programme.
  • VimpelCom subsidiary commences tender offer for 100% of the outstanding shares of Golden Telecomfor $105 per share in cash- Moscow and New York (January 18, 2008) - Open Joint Stock Company "Vimpel-Communications" (NYSE: VIP) announced today that its indirect subsidiary, Lillian Acquisition, Inc. ("Lillian Acquisition"), has commenced a cash tender offer for 100% of the outstanding shares of common stock of Golden Telecom, Inc. ("Golden Telecom") (NASDAQ: GLDN) under the previously announced merger agreement between Lillian Acquisition, VimpelCom Finance B.V. and Golden Telecom.
  • VimpelCom and Golden Telecom confirm discussions- In the beginning of December Vimpelcom and Golden Telecom confirmed they were in discussions regarding the potential acquisition of all of the outstanding shares of Golden Telecom by a subsidiary of VimpelCom at a price per share of $105 in cash. Today VimpelCom and Golden Telecom confirm that a definitive merger agreement has been entered into between Golden Telecom and two wholly-owned subsidiaries of VimpelCom, VimpelCom Finance B.V. and Lillian Acquisition, Inc.
  • VimpelCom Director Jo Lunder Receives Independent Director of the Year Award- Open Joint Stock Company "Vimpel-Communications" ("VimpelCom" or the "Company") (NYSE: VIP), a leading provider of wireless telecommunications services in Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) today announced that Company Director Jo Lunder received the "Independent Director of the Year" award from the Independent Directors Association (IDA) of Russia. Out of 225 independent directors who are members of the board at Russian companies, Mr. Lunder was one of the six winners to receive this award.
  • Intec signs multimillion dollar group license and services agreement with VimpelCom Group subsidiaries- Intec, a global provider of business and operations support systems (BSS/OSS), announced today that it has signed and implemented a group license and services agreement for its Intec Interconnect intercarrier billing solution with several VimpelCom subsidiaries. Valued at nearly US$2 million dollars, the new contract will enable Russia's major mobile operator to roll out Intec Interconnect throughout the CIS, with subsidiaries going live with the system by the end of this year in Uzbekistan, Ukraine and Armenia.
  • VimpelCom and Golden Telecom confirm discussions- Moscow and New York (December 3, 2007) - Open Joint Stock Company "Vimpel-Communications" ("VimpelCom") (NYSE: VIP) and Golden Telecom, Inc. ("Golden Telecom") (NASDAQ: "GLDN") today issued the following joint statement:
  • Vimpelcom Wins Prestigious Best Investor Relations Award for Fifth Year in a Row- Open Joint Stock Company "Vimpel-Communications" (VimpelCom) (NYSE: VIP), is pleased to announce that once again it was named the winner of the Best IR by a Russian Company Award at the 9th annual IR Magazine Continental Europe Awards 2007 on October 11, 2007 in Paris, France. "I would like to thank the fund managers and analysts whose confidence and support secured our victory of prestigious Best IR by a Russian Company Award" from IR Magazine for the fifth consecutive year," said Alexander Izosimov, Chief Executive Officer of VimpelCom.

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