August 5, 2008 – (HOSTSEARCH.COM) – Mobile TeleSystems OJSC (“MTS” – NYSE: MBT), the largest mobile phone operator in Russia and the CIS, Microsoft, the worldwide leader in operating systems and productivity software, and Fujitsu Siemens Computers, Europe’s leading developer of IT systems, has announced the launch of the first integrated 3G notebook solution in the CIS. The companies collaborated to deliver a 3G-enabled Fujitsu Siemens notebook running on the Microsoft Vista operating system with an embedded SIM card and a special data tariff plan from MTS.
The new notebook from Fujitsu Siemens Computers features a 3G modem that supports both the HSDPA mobile communications technology with data speeds up to 3.6 Mbit/s and the widely available GPRS / EDGE data networks. The notebook will be available from August 1, 2008, and all customers that buy the notebook in August will receive 100Mb data packages for free on a monthly basis for the following four months.
The notebook, developed by MTS, Microsoft and Fujitsu Siemens Computers, will be sold initially in Moscow, followed by the four cities where MTS already launched its 3G network: St. Petersburg, Kazan, Yekaterinburg and Sochi.
“The rapid deployment of 3G networks brings true mobile broadband access to our subscribers,” said Mrs. Cynthia Gordon, Chief Marketing Officer at MTS. “We are very optimistic about the prospects of mobile broadband in Russia and the CIS with MTS leading the market in offering solutions for broadband access on the go. We are eager to partner with leading global vendors to offer the first integrated mobile broadband solution in Russia, to capitalize on trends that suggest strong growth in data usage for years to come.”
“Fujitsu Siemens Computers became the first company to launch notebooks with integrated 3G modems in Russia,” noted Mr. Tony Rozwadowski, vice president for Central and Eastern Europe at Fujitsu Siemens Computers. “As 3G networks are becoming available in the key regions of Russia, our customers will have broadband access on the go at unprecedented speeds. By partnering with Microsoft and MTS, we are offering our customers mobile broadband access across the largest mobile network in Russia and the CIS.”
“The latest technology from Microsoft brings to life the full potential of 3G networks in a simple and easy way. As this is the first integrated 3G notebook project in Russia, our customers will particularly appreciate its user friendliness, which makes this solution not only attractive to our customers but also promotes 3G communications in Russia,” said Mr. Birger Sten, CEO of Microsoft Russia.
The joint solution from MTS, Microsoft and Fujitsu Siemens Computers has been developed within the framework of the mobile broadband strategy that MTS announced at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February 2008. This framework includes the development of portable devices with preinstalled software as well as imbedded solutions for mobile broadband access through the MTS network.
Currently, MTS subscribers can access 3G networks in Saint Petersburg, Kazan and through roaming points abroad. MTS has also announced 3G network readiness in Sochi and Yekaterinburg, where the commercial launch is imminent, and plans to launch additional 3G networks in over 10 cities in Russia during 2008.
