Orensot (merged with Vimpelcom)

active

Orensot, a joint stock company provides cellular network services in the Orenburg Region with a population of 2.2 million. The company received its license in October 1995 and started its commerical operations in April 1996. The compnay provided services of cellular radiotelephone communication within the standard AMPS/DAMPS in the range of 800 megahertz in Orenburg, Orsk and Novotroitsk and had about 800 customers by 1997. The D-Amps network equipment was delivered by Ericsson in 1996. Orensot has built a cellular, TDMA-standard communication network on the territory of the Orenburg Region. The company obtained GSM 900 license in June 2000 and Ericsson was an equipment supplier. In 2001 Elektrosvyaz of Orenburg region owned 43.5% of Orensot. Orensot's other major shareholder is the regional state property committee, which owned 20.87% of stock. Russia's second-largest cellular operator Vimpelcom-Region bought 77.6% in Orensot from different holders for US$14 million in July 2002. In October 2002, Vimpelcom acquired an additional 21.2% of Orensot for US$3.9 million. As of December 31 2002 Vimpelcom owned 98.8% of Orensot. Orensot had 46,100 users on a GSM-1800 network and the remainder of its 65,800 users on a TDMA network in Orenburg in central Russia. Orensot had about 77% of the region's market as of 2003. Private share before Vimpelcom acquisition needs to be clarified. 271 thousand subscribers in 2003 became part of Vimpelcom-Region. Investment figures were not available.