MTS (Russian: ??S; full name: ????????? ???????????

, "Mobile TeleSystems") is the

largest mobile operator in Russia and CIS with over 102.4 million subscribers as of
31 December 2009.[2]

Having started in the Moscow license zone in 1994, MTS in 1997 received licenses
for further areas and began expansion, later entering other countries of the CIS.

Contents
1 Operations
1.1 Foreign subsidiaries and associates
2 Branding
3 See also
4 References
5 External links
Operations
Country Operator
Russia MTS Russia
Ukraine Vodafone Ukraine
Turkmenistan MTS Turkmenistan
Uzbekistan Universal Mobile Systems
Armenia VivaCell-MTS
Belarus MTS Belarus
India Reliance Communications
The MTS mobile network operates using the GSM standard. It currently holds licences
to provide mobile services in 81 out of 83 regions in Russia and the entire
territories of Armenia (VivaCell MTS), Ukraine, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan.
[3][4][5] MTS is currently the biggest mobile operator in Central and Eastern
Europe.[6]

On October 31, 2008, Vodafone announced a partnership deal with MTS, whereby
Vodafone services will be available to MTS subscribers and both companies have
noted the potential for more efficient purchasing.

In 2008, Sistema formed 74:26 joint venture with India�s Shyam Group to form
Sistema Shyam Teleservices (SSTL), and acquired a pan-India license to provide CDMA
services in the country. In March 2009, SSTL launched the MTS brand in the state of
Tamil Nadu, followed by neighboring states Kerala and W. Bengal in April and May
respectively. Following the cancellation of its licenses by the Supreme Court of
India, MTS is present in 9 circles out of 22 telecom circles of India. Media
reports suggest that the Russian government was planning to buy a 20% stake in SSTL
for about $700000 million.[citation needed]

In 2009, MTS acquired several independent mobile retail chains, creating MTS
monobrand retail network of 3300 stores - the second largest retail network in
Russia. Also in 2009 MTS started marketing MTS-branded mobile handsets. Already in
2010 MTS became the 5th best selling handset brand in Russia, after Nokia, Samsung,
LG and SonyEricsson.

In 2010, MTS announced acquisition of 62% of the stock of Comstar, the biggest
Russian fixed internet and cable TV provider with 7.5 million of passed households.
[7] Comstar products were re-branded to MTS in 2010, forming the largest Russian
mobile and fixed telecommunications brand. Until this purchase, MTS was presented
at the fixed telephony market through its subsidiary Moscow City Telephone Network
(MGTS), which at 2013 served more than 4.4 million subscribers in Moscow and Moscow
Oblast.

On November 2013, the company has launched the "Home phone MTS" in Ryazan, Oryol,
Kirov, Krasnodar, Rostov-on-Don and Yekaterinburg. The subscription fee for the
wired telephone is 100 rubles. Per month, it includes unlimited calls to numbers of
local fixed-line operators. The cost of calls to mobile numbers range from 1.1
rubles per minute depending on the region. Prior to that, in several cities such
services are also provided by Comstar, a subsidiary of MTS.[8]

During 2012-2013, MTS deployed FTTB network in nearly twenty new cities of the Far
East, Siberia, Central, Volga and Ural federal districts. In 2012, MTS launched in
all the cities where the DTV signal standard DVB-C, and in December 2013 a project
to provide fixed telephony services to the mass market in the regions.[9]

In 2013, Interregional TransitTelekom won a tender held by MTS to provide IPX

services, and became one of the service providers for the company in the
international telecommunications market. In November 2013 MTS began offering their
Russian customers LTE roaming service, after such agreement were signed first with
South Korean operator SK Telecom and then with Saudi Arabia and Great Britain.[10]
Along with the construction of the fixed network, the company launched in 2013 DVB-
C digital television standard in Ulan-Ude, Blagoveshchensk, Ussuriisk and Nakhodka.
In November 2013 MTS completely switched to digital TV by connecting new
subscribers, ending the connection to analogue television.[11]

In October 2015 Mobile TeleSystems and Vodafone expanded their strategic

partnership; this resulted in the rebranding of MTS Ukraine to Vodafone Ukraine.
[12]

Foreign subsidiaries and associates

Brand UMC existed till mid-2007, when major rebranding campaign occurred turning
UMC into MTS.

In July 2012, authorities in Uzbekistan announced the suspension of the operating

license of MTS's subsidiary Uzdunrobita. Officials argued MTS-Uzbekistan has been
responsible for a series of technical violations, and its operations have been
suspended beginning on the evening of July 17. According to the MTS, the suspension
could affect millions of Uzbek mobile phone users. An MTS statement said the firm
has some 10 million clients among Uzbekistan�s population of 28 million.[13] The
Russian Foreign Ministry reacted and declared his country is concerned about the
situation with Mobile TeleSystems� Uzbekistan subsidiary Uzdunrobita, after Uzbek
authorities suspended the mobile operator�s license and put a senior official into
custody. The dispute, which analysts fear may lead to MTS exiting the market, broke
out at the beginning of 2012 when Uzbek authorities launched a near $1.3 million
back-tax claim against MTS. MTS said in an e-mailed statement that the actions of
the Uzbek authorities may be interpreted as �baseless attacks on the business of
the Russian investor.�[14] However, In 2019 US Department of justice charged the
firm for bribery to secure contracts in Uzbekistan. MTS agreed to pay a panelty of
$850 million.[15][16]

Branding
In May 2006, MTS changed their logo as a part of rebranding campaign performed by
their mother company, JSFC Sistema. The logo now has two red squares next to each
other. The left one, common in form (but not colour) to all JSFC Sistema's telecom
subsidiaries, contains a white egg which symbolizes simplicity and genius, while
the right square bears the name of the company: ??? (MTS).[citation needed] In
2010, MTS announced acquisition of Sistema Telecom, the owners of the MTS "egg"
logo, for $380 million, thus becoming the sole owner of the logo.[17]

In 2008, the MTS brand was included in the Top 100 World's Most Powerful Brands
list by Financial Times/Millward Brown ranking, becoming the most valuable Russian
brand.[18] According to this ranking, in 2010 MTS brand was 72nd most valuable
brand worldwide with the brand value of $9.7 billion. In 2010 MTS also became the
most valuable Russian brand according to the Interbrand ranking.[19]

See also
Telecommunications portal
Companies portal
flag Russia portal
References
http://www.mtsgsm.com/upload/contents/294/MTS_IFRS_Cons_FS_15-16.pdf.
"MTS Website - About". Retrieved 2010-10-22.
"MTS Website - Licenses". Archived from the original on 2006-11-13. Retrieved
2006-10-29.
"MTS Website - Short summary (In Russian)". Archived from the original on 2006-10-
24. Retrieved 2006-10-29.
(in Ukrainian) MTS warns of SMS-spreading virus, Ukrayinska Pravda (3 September
2014)
"MTS Website - Company History (In Russian)". Archived from the original on 2006-
05-12. Retrieved 2006-10-29.
"MTS Website - Merger". Archived from the original on 2011-01-01. Retrieved 2010-
12-16.
"??? ??????????????? ? ????????~. ???????? ???????? ??????? ?????? - comnews".
Retrieved 17 July 2015.
"??? ??????? - ??????? ??????????? ???-2013 - Telecom Daily". Retrieved 17 July
2015.
"??? ????????? ?? ????????? ????????". comnews.ru. 29 January 2014. Retrieved 30
January 2014.
"??? ?? 60% ????????? ????????????? ???? ?? ??????? ??????". comnews.ru. 14
February 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
MTS Ukraine to operate under Vodafone brand, Interfax Ukraine (16 October 2015)
"Uzbekistan Suspends MTS's License". The Gazette of Central Asia. Satrapia. 17
July 2012. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
"Russian Foreign Ministry Concerned About Sanctions on MTS". The Gazette of
Central Asia. Satrapia. 26 July 2012. Retrieved 4 August 2012.
"Uzbekistan - Contracts". Foreign Law Guide. Retrieved 2019-03-11.
"Bloomberg - Are you a robot?". www.bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2019-03-11.
"RIA Novosti Russian news website". Retrieved 2010-12-16.
"Millward Brown Optimor website". Retrieved 2010-12-16.
"Interbrand website". Archived from the original on 2010-12-18. Retrieved 2010-12-
16.