IR Blog

We have launched commercial 3G network in Belarus this week. The network is based on the HSPA+ technology, allowing up to 21 Mbit/s download and 11 Mbit/s upload speeds. The network is currently available in Minsk, the capital of Belarus, and will be expanded to the major cities and regional centers of the country by the end of the year.

In addition, we have fulfilled our 3G license requirement for the commercial 3G network in Russia following the launch of the network in the last remaining federal subject, Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. As of today, MTS has commercial 3G networks in all Russian federal subjects.

3G network in Moscow, as of January 15, 2010.

At the end of December 2009, we launched our commercial 3G network in Moscow, complementing our existing coverage in the Moscow region and throughout Russia. At the time of launch, our network consisted of 197 base stations, which allowed us to offer extensive coverage within the MKAD (the so-called beltway, or highway, that surrounds Moscow) to a population of over 10 million.  By the end of January, we will have installed up to 300 base stations to serve Russia's capital.  For the latest network map, click here.

We estimate that data traffic has already increased 2-3 times in areas where both 2G and 3G networks are available, compared to the traffic prior to the launch of 3G. Currently, we have a variety of special tariffs for 3G users, including unlimited ones.

Given the size of Russia, it comes as no surprise that we are constantly adding new communities to the coverage map of MTS. In 2008, our network extended to over 900 communities in Russia with a population of over 1,000 inhabitants. We have deployed over 4,700 additional base stations representing an increase of over 20% of the overall base station count.

The westernmost location of our network is Baltiysk, a seaport town in the Kaliningrad Oblast. The northernmost point is Borisoglebsk, a town in the Murmansk Oblast bordering Norway. One of the most unique locations is in northern Russia, in the Nenets Autonomous Okrug on the shores of the Barents Sea, which can be reached only by air.