Mobile Content Russia

Opera Software today announced that MTS, the largest cellular network operator in Russia and CIS, will now provide a co-branded version of the Opera Mini browser for its subscribers, who will be able to download it on their mobile phones at mini.opera.com. Subscribers of MTS will get access to a customized Opera Mini start page when they download the browser on their mobile phones.

The start page will have default bookmarks which give MTS subscribers quick and easy access to music, videos and games as well as giving users the opportunity to purchase content directly from the browser.

Out There Media, the international leader in Mobile Advertising, announces the signing of a partnership agreement with MTS, a leading mobile operator in Ukraine with a customer base of 17.74 million mobile subscribers and a 32% market share. The agreement enables MTS to offer targeted Mobile Advertising, through Mobucks™, the multi-channel Mobile Advertising marketplace technology developed by Out There Media. Out There Media is also responsible for monetization, sales, business development and operations support, within the partnership agreement. It is estimated that Out There Media now has access to more than 40 million mobile phones in Ukraine, which corresponds to over 80% of the country’s total mobile subscriber population.

MTS, the largest cellular network operator in Russia and CIS, has made unlimited internet access available for all subscribers signed up to MTS Connect (meaning that this flat-rate can be use only with MTS branded USB-modem) data plan in all regions of Russian Federation.

Pavel Roitberg, product director, MTS, says: “As 3G networks, launched by MTS in 43 cities of Russia, are developing, mobile web access is becoming a bulk service among our subscribers […]”.

MTS, the largest cellular network operator in Russia and CIS, announces that it has successfully renegotiated the terms of the EUR 300 million credit facility from Gazprombank as part of the Company's efforts to reduce the interest rates of its debt portfolio.

MTS initially entered the credit agreement with Gazprombank in late December 2008. Under the terms of the agreement, the Company was to pay an annual interest rate of 12%. As the result of negotiations, the interest rate has been decreased to 8%. The maturity of the facility has been extended by more than a year from June 2011 to September 2012. MTS has already paid down EUR 50 million of the original facility.

MTS, the largest cellular network operator in Russia and CIS, has resumed publication of its content-providers ratings and published the rating of content-providers for third quarter of 2009. Top 5 companies in the rating are A1, IncoreMedia, Inform-Mobil, i-Free, and Neva Line.

In its ratings MTS takes into account the income its partners get from offering their content-services to MTS subscribers. The presented rating should help in informing about situation in content services market and current position of largest Russian content-providers.

MTS, the largest cellular network operator in Russia and CIS, has announced the launch of BlackBerry service, end-to-end solution for safe remote access to corporate email on BlackBerry smartphones for companies which operates outside Moscow and Moscow region. When subscribing to the service, company gets BlackBerry smartphones. MTS sets up company's servers and mail client connection. Monthly payment for unlimited BlackBerry service is 590 rubles (about 20 dollars).

First time BlackBerry email service was introduced in Ukraine in October, 2007, when MTS rolled out BlackBerry enterprise service. In June 2008, MTS launched BlackBerry email service for enterprise users in Russia. Today the service is used by 500 large companies in Russia.

MTS, the largest cellular network operator in Russia and CIS, has announced the full-scale roll out of UMTS/HSPA (3G) network in all regions of Armenia, one of the CIS countries. Today the third generation network is operating in 50 cities of the country.

First VivaCell-MTS 3G networks were launched in April 2009 in three major Armenian cities – Yerevan, Gyumri, and Vanadzor. The carrier is building a combined 2G/3.5G network in Armenia, using the current platforms as base stations without holdup or significant reconfiguration of GSM network.

MTS, the largest cellular network operator in Russia and CIS, has announced the launch of special section on its WAP portal wap.mts.ru dubbed MTS Smotri Online (means « Watch Online» in Russian), which can be used not only for downloading video content but also for watching online video without downloading the content on mobile phone.

Smotri Online is a new section on WAP portal of the carrier, developed together with Next Media Group based on Amfora's hardware platform. The section will substitute all current video service on portal. Smotri Online offers wide range of videos in different genres including music clips, comedy shows, popular cartoon episodes, movies, sport broadcasts and user-generated video.

MTS, the largest cellular network operator in Russia and CIS, has announced that MTS Uzbekistan, 100% subsidiary of JSC Mobile TeleSystems, received authorization from Uzbekistan Communication Agency for using the existing company's frequency range in building LTE network in Uzbekistan.

MTS, the largest cellular network operator in Russia and CIS, has announced 100% acquisition of mobile phone retail chain Teleforum from its earlier owners EWINSER INVESTMENT S.A. (BVI) and a private individual.

The deal totaled 11 million dollars 20% of which the seller will get with the closing of the deal and 80% will be paid out after 12 months subject to fulfillment of several agreement terms, including the compliance of the performance figures of the acquired company with the deal's requirements.