Sotovaya Kompaniya (Cellular Company) (merged with Vimpelcom)

active

Sotovaya Kompaniya (Cellular Company) was established in 1994 to operate an AMPS 800 standard cellular network in the Novosibirsk Region and the Novosibirsk City. The company received its license in May 1994, after paying a US$0.8 million license fee. The license expires in 2006. The main shareholders were Novosibirsk Tin Works (48%), AO Electrosignal (48%), and KB Impuls (4%) by 1998. The total population in the license area was around 4 million in 1997. The company started its operations in November 1994 and operated under the Bee-Line franchise by 1997. Sotovaya served about 9,000 subscribers, which accounts for 85% of the total market in the region by 1997. Its main competitors were the NMT 450 network, which had 1,200 subscribers by 1997, and a GSM 900 network with 350 subscribers. The company invested US$12 million in its network development by 1997. It planned to invest an additional $20 between 1998 and 1999. In 2002 Sotovaya jointly with Vympelkom-Region started construction of a GSM-900/1800 network in Novosibirsk. Sotovaya purchased Motorola equipment for the installation of its NAMPS-standard network in 90’s, and Ericsson equipment for GSM-standard. VimpelCom acquired 100% of the company in 2002. From 2002 investment figures are included in project 3250, Vimpelcom.