MTS and Samsung Build the first LTE network in Northwest region of Russia

Moscow, Russia — OJSC “Mobile TeleSystems” (MTS - NYSE: MBT), the leading telecommunications operator in Russia and the CIS, and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd today announced completion of the first stage of MTS LTE network in Russia’s Pskov region and the beginning of the testing of 4G network services.



By the end of 2013, 4G mobile Internet with data transfer rates up to 75 Mbit/s will be available to residents of the following cities:

Pskov, Velikie Luki, Ostrov, Nevel, Opochka, Novosokolniki, Pustoshka and a number of other population centers of Pskov region.

New network will operate in LTE FDD standard and will provide high-speed Internet access for users of smartphones, tablets and modems from the leading vendors.



The LTE FDD network rollout in Russia’s Northwest Federal District is a part of the three-year agreement signed between MTS and Samsung in 2013.

During the 2013-2014 MTS 4G networks will be rolled out in Saint-Petersburg, Leningrad, Arkhangelsk regions and the Komi Republic.

Currently, MTS’ own LTE networks operate in Moscow, Tambov regions and the Udmurt Republic.



MTS’ subscribers in Pskov region are very active users of data services;

Internet traffic in MTS network in the region has doubled since last year. MTS is the leader of the mobile market in Pskov region,

and we continue to actively invest in developing new technologies to ensure customers growing needs in fast Internet.

I’m glad that Pskov’ residents will be the first in Northwest region to evaluate the speed of MTS 4G network and I believe that with the emergence of

a large number of smartphones supporting fourth-generation networks more people in Pskov region will be able to use high speed mobile Internet, "

- said the director of MTS in the regions of North-West Kirill Dmitriev.



We are delighted to partner with MTS to deploy this LTE network. This is a significant milestone for us in accelerating

our network business in Russia and the wider CIS region. Samsung has accrued significant achievements in the most advanced and active LTE markets

such as large scale deployment in the U.S. and Japan, and the world’s first LTE-Advanced commercialization in South Korea.



We strongly believe that the expertise gained from these ventures will benefit MTS and ourselves in bringing an advanced 4G LTE experience to Northwest Russia», - said IP Hong, Vice President and Head of Europe and CIS Sales at Samsung Networks Business.