VimpelCom Says Still Undecided On ArmenTel’s Fixed-Line Business

VIMPELCOM SAYS STILL UNDECIDED ON ARMENTEL’S FIXED-LINE BUSINESS

Prime-Tass Business News Agency
November 21, 2006 Tuesday 4:38 PM EET

Russia’s second largest mobile operator VimpelCom has still not decided
on whether to keep or sell the fixed-line business of recently acquired
Armenian mobile and fixed-line operator ArmenTel, VimpelCom’s Vice
President Nikolai Pryanishnikov told a news conference Tuesday.

A VimpelCom spokeswoman said earlier that VimpelCom planned to offer
converged fixed-to-mobile services.

Speaking on the mobile business of ArmenTel, Pryanishnikov said
that VimpelCom would introduce its Beeline brand in Armenia as soon
as possible.

VimpelCom’s top priority markets in the Commonwealth of Independent
States (CIS) are Azerbaijan, Moldova and Georgia, where VimpelCom
has recently acquired a GSM license holder, Pryanishnikov said.

VimpelCom purchased ArmenTel earlier this month and some market experts
suggested then that VimpelCom may sell ArmenTel’s fixed-line business
as it is not a core business for VimpelCom.