Mobile TeleSystems buys regional operators

Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) has completed deals in purchasing stakes in Volgograd Mobile, Astrakhan Mobile and Map Mobile GSM, the press service of Russia's major mobile provider reported. MTS purchased 50 percent in Volgograd Mobile (the South Federal District), 50 percent in Astrakhan Mobile (the South Federal District) and 100 percent in Map Mobile GSM in the Mariy El Republic (the Volga Federal District).

MTS said that as a result of these deals it possessed licenses to provide mobile services in 76 out of 89 Russian regions. Some 128.3m people live in these 76 regions. Taking into account the company's license area in Ukraine and Belarus, about 186.3m people live within the MTS license area.

MTS has more than 11m mobile subscribers. Its main shareholders are Sistema (51 percent) and T-Mobile (25 percent).

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