VIMPELCOM PUTS INTO TECHNICAL EXPLOITATION NETWORK IN GEORGIA
Tbilisi, December 28. ArmInfo. OJSC VimpelCom (trade mark Bee-line)
has announced about technical exploitation of the network Mobitel
Ltd. in Georgia. VimpelCom acquired 51% stake in the Georgian
operator Mobitel Ltd. for $12.6 million in July and option for
acquisition of the remaining 49% stake. Mobitel has a license for
provision of GSM-1800 services till the middle of 2013. However, the
company did not provide the services. VimpelCom reports that Mobitel
established GSM/GPRS/EDGE net within 6 months. The net is ready to
introduce services of the third generation (3G). At present, Next
Generation Network (NGN) equipment and Alcatel base stations have
been installed. The equipment is being integrated, Russian Media
report. The installed capacity of the activated net is designed for
300,000 subscribers, whose number can be increased to 1 million. "We
are actively preparing for the start of the operational activity of
Mobitel in the territory of Georgia in accordance with the earlier
scheduled plans. The activation of the net is an important step for
the development of the company. We managed to make this step within
the unprecedented short terms," says Executive Vice President for
Business Development in CIS, Chief Technical Director of VimpelCom
Sergey Avdeev. As Nikolay Pryanishnikov, VimpelCom Executive Vice
President stated earlier, the net in Georgia was to be put into
commercial exploitation in the first quarter of 2007. To recap,
Vimpelcom holds also 90pct stake in ArmenTel CJSC.