Russia - MTS increases stake in Far East Cellular Systems
Mobile phone operator in Russia and Ukraine, Mobile TeleSystems (MTS), has acquired an additional 40 percent stake in
Far East Cellular Systems-900 CJSC, increasing its ownership in the company to 100 percent. MTS acquired the stake in
FECS-900 for USDlr8.3 million from Far East Telecommunications. In August 2001, MTS acquired a 60 percent controlling
stake in FECS-900 through Telecom-900 CJSC. FECS-900 provides GSM 900/1800 services under the MTS brand in the
Khabarovsk region (population 1.4 million), located in the Siberian part of Russia. The company's subscriber base
was approximately 151,110 users as of 15 April 2004. According to AC+M-Consulting, the company's market share was
46.3 percent and mobile penetration in the region was 22 percent at the end of March 2004.
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