VimpelCom (Beeline brand)

As of October 2018, VimpelCom"" provides communication services in. Russia Also, de jure business in the CIS countries, in addition to Ukraine, is also conducted through this company. But operationally since 2009, business in Algeria, Armenia Bangladesh,,,, and Georgia Kazakhstan is Uzbekistan To Ukraine conducted through the head structure of the group. Veon

Performance indicators

Main article: Financial performance of VimpelCom

Services

PJSC VimpelCom under the Beeline trademark provides integrated services:

• mobile and fixed telephony
• long-distance and international communication
• data transmission and telematics communication services
• Internet access based on wireless and wired solutions, including fiber, Wi-Fi and third and fourth generation networks
• cloud services and converged solutions

VimpelCom clients and partners:

• individuals
• small, medium and large enterprises
• multinationals

Communication infrastructure

• 5G in Bilaine (VimpelCom)
• VimpelCom NB-IoT/LTE-M
• VimpelCom network broadband access

Information Technology

DPCs

• Data centers of VimpelCom

IT Infrastructure Cost Optimization Experience

^[1]:

• Outsider Withdrawal Criteria: Finance and Revenue Impact
• Calculate budget correctly and determine optimization goals (size of desired savings and risk ratio)
• Outsource work outside the production chain and without direct impact on revenue and profit.

IT infrastructure

• Monitoring and Analysis of Resource Utilization
• Resource Capacity Estimates in CAPEX/OPEX Terms

User equipment

• Development of remote work and BYOD
• Data protection

OpenSource

Statistics and Billing IT service outsiders Jobs and sales offices - 12% Printing - 10% HD – 12% IT Infrastructure Simplification Virtualization - 40% Transfer from Vendor Support to SPTA - 50% Change of vendors - 70% Transition from HE to MidRange by DSS - 70% Optimizing the IT Landscape of User Equipment Departure from landlines - 80% Switch from Polycom to S4B - 60% BYOD implementation - 80% OpenSource KVM – 40% LibreOffice - 15%

Problems Outsourcing IT services Quality reduction to contractual levels Budget constraints Simplification of IT infrastructure Procurement procedures Optimizing the IT Landscape of User Equipment User negative Apple Hardware Support OpenSource Lack of competencies in the market

VimpelCom Board of Directors

VimpelCom Board of Directors

History

2024

Victory in a lawsuit from the Federal Tax Service on additional payment of 179 million rubles in taxes

On September 3, 2024, it became known that the Arbitration Court of the Moscow District in a dispute between the Federal Tax Service and VimpelCom (beeline brand) ruled in favor of a telecommunications company. In accordance with the decree, the operator will not pay additional 179 million rubles in taxes.

In May 2018, VimpelCom notified the Federal Tax Service of 111 controlled transactions in the previous year, one of which attracted the attention of the department. We are talking about an agreement with the Dutch Veon Wholesale Services B.V. (VWS) for the provision of services, including the management and development of new inter-operator roaming tariffs in the amount of 1.6 billion rubles. Subsequently, the company sent an updated notice, where it corrected the contract number with VWS and added information about another deal - with Veon Ltd. In December 2020, the Federal Tax Service appointed an audit, as a result of which it additionally charged VimpelCom 179 million rubles in income taxes under the deal with VWS due to price deviations from market prices.

VimpelCom won the court against the Federal Tax Service and will not pay additional 179 million rubles in taxes

The telco disputed the purpose of the review as the two-year deadline from the first notice was missed. As a result, the Ninth Arbitration Court of Appeal of the city of Moscow, after appealing against VimpelCom's decision of the first instance in favor of the Federal Tax Service, sided with the operator. The requirement of the Federal Tax Service to appoint a tax audit against the company was declared illegal. The tax department sent a cassation appeal to the Arbitration Court of the Moscow District, but it was dismissed.

We are glad that the court supported our position in the cassation and confirmed the right of the business to protect its interests. This is an important precedent that shows that in Russia you can defend your rights. We are grateful to the court for listening to our arguments, - say representatives of VimpelCom, whose words are quoted by the Telekommunalka Telegram channel[2]

Appointment of Sergei Anokhin as CEO

On July 12, 2024, VimpelCom announced the appointment of Sergei Anokhin as the new CEO of the company. In this post, he will replace Alexander Torbakhov, who will head the board of directors of the telecom operator. Read more here.

Creation of a joint company with Sechenov University to develop medical AI systems

On February 20, 2024, VimpelCom and Sechenov University announced the creation of a joint company to develop medical systems with artificial intelligence. The new structure was called "MedTech AI." Read more here.

2023

Reduction in the number of communication salons by 22% to 2419 points

The number of VimpelCom communication salons in 2023 decreased by 22% compared to 2022. The company told about this in early March 2024 as part of the publication of financial statements.

We continued to optimize the network of our own sales and service offices, leaving or opening in new locations only the physical contact points that customers really need, - Interfax quotes a statement from the VimpelCom press service, which also states that the reduction in retail has significantly increased its efficiency without compromising the quality of customer service.

The number of VimpelCom communication salons in 2023 decreased by 22%

As Svetlana Kirsanova, executive vice president for retail business at VimpelCom, clarified, at the end of 2023 the company had 1,536 own sales offices, and taking into account the franchise - 2,419 points. In 2024, the telecom operator does not plan to significantly reduce its retail network, she said.

There will be no serious trip down our own offices, we do not expect it - at least this year, this makes no sense. We will not reduce them somehow significantly, because the number of service operations in offices is present, sometimes the client needs to really walk with his feet. Although remote services are all developing, - added Kirsanova.

At the same time, she clarified that in some locations VimpelCom may close sales offices, but open new points in other places. The company will study customer flows, including using artificial intelligence algorithms, in order to understand where communication salons are really needed, the top manager of VimpelCom said.

Summing up the results of 2023, the company said that it "radically decreased the number of empty sales" and increased the motivation of employees to serve customers.^[3]

Buying 25.1% of KeepRise startup

VimpelCom bought 25.1% of KeepRise. Information about the transaction was registered in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities (Unified State Register of Legal Entities) on November 23, 2023. Read more here.

Purchase of 51% of Callibri marketing service

On November 23, 2023, VimpelCom announced the purchase of 51% of Callibri. The company did not disclose the financial terms of the transaction. Read more here.

Buying Kampus 12% Enterprise Learning Platform

On November 16, 2023, VimpelCom announced its investment in Kampus. Under the terms of the deal, the financial terms of which were not disclosed, the Russian telecom operator received 12% in the startup. Read more here.

Buying a stake in restaurant cloud solutions developer Restik

In mid-November 2023, it became known about VimpelCom's investments in Restik in exchange for 10% in a Russian startup offering a set of cloud services for restaurants and cafes. Read more here.

Acquisition of a stake in Platformcraft

On October 30, 2023, it became known about the sale of 13.21% of Platformcraft to VimpelCom. Financial and other terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Read more here.

Alexander Pankov's appointment as president

On October 16, 2023, "" VimpelCom announced the appointment of Alexander Pankov as the new president of the company. Previously, he worked at VimpelCom as vice president for organ relations. state power More. here

VimpelCom bought CDNVideo

On September 1, 2023, it became known about the sale of CDNVideo to VimpelCom. This is evidenced by the data of the Unified State Register of Legal Entities (USRUL). Read more here.

Agreement with MTUCI to form the personnel reserve of the country

On April 11, 2023, MTUSI and VimpelCom signed an agreement aimed at developing general and vocational education in the field of telecommunications and information technology. Read more here.

Buying 20% Voca Tech

On March 6, 2023, VimpelCom announced the purchase of 20% of Voca Tech. The financial and other terms of the investment agreement of the company did not disclose. As a source in one of the venture capital funds told Kommersant, as part of the deal, the developer of the voice analytics system for retail could be estimated at a multiple of 6-10 revenues for 2022, and the share acquired by VimpelCom could cost 74.6-124.4 million rubles. Read more here.

The government agreed on the sale of VimpelCom, but with the terms

The government agreed to sell VimpelCom to the heads of a Russian company, but put forward conditions. The head Ministry of Digital Development Russia Maksut Shadayev announced this on February 3, 2023.

This is a condition of the deal, in fact. If the management of VimpelCom agrees that Russian investors are ready to sell them bonds in the amount of at least 90% of the total debt, then the deal will take place. The Commission [Government Commission on Foreign Investment - approx. TAdviser] approved it on these terms. The only question is that these conditions should be uniform for all bondholders, "he said.

According to Shadayev, the ransom can occur within one or two months, "there it will either take place, this deal, or not." Earlier, the minister noted that the redemption of bonds within the framework of the transaction should be carried out on an economically equal basis, regardless of the form of redemption, conditions for all investors.

The fact that the government allowed the sale of VimpelCom by the Veon holding to Russian top management was reported on February 1, 2023 by RBC and Forbes. At the end of January 2023, Kommersant and TASS, citing their sources, reported that the commission did not agree on the deal in the current configuration and sent it "for revision."

An official familiar with the discussions told RBC that during the approval, comments were taken into account that "all bondholders [Veon] should receive equal conditions." Due to questions about bond payments to Russian holders, the government commission had previously postponed consideration of the sale of VimpelCom, the newspaper notes.

The largest holders of VimpelCom bonds are Leader Management Company and First Management Company. Both of them filed lawsuits with the Moscow Arbitration Court - for 1.8 billion and 2.1 billion rubles, respectively, demanding repayment of debts, Vedomosti points out^[4]

Lawsuit against the Central Bank of the Russian Federation

On January 13, 2023, VimpelCom filed a lawsuit against the Central Bank of Russia. The reason for the complaint was one of the points of clarification of the regulator on the procedure for the execution of presidential decrees on the temporary procedure for the fulfillment of obligations on bonds of foreign investors, Vedomosti writes with reference to the file of arbitration cases.

According to the newspaper, the Moscow Arbitration Court accepted the VimpelCom lawsuit for production and scheduled a preliminary meeting on it for January 13, 2023.

According to the materials of the case referred to by the publication, the telecommunications operator asks to invalidate paragraph 1.3 of the official explanations of the Central Bank regarding the repayment of bonds of foreign companies by their Russian subsidiaries. This paragraph states that "obligations related to Eurobonds should be determined depending on the nature of relations between a Russian legal entity and a foreign organization that issued Eurobonds."

VimpelCom also demanded that the court take interim measures. This means that the operator asked until the moment of consideration of his application to suspend the action of this clause of the Central Bank, and not only for the company itself, but also for all legal entities, the lawyer explained to the newspaper.

The representative of the management company "Ingosstrakh-Investments" said that the Central Bank in explanations indicated that Russian companies "are obliged to use new methods and ensure the receipt of income by Russian investors."

Apparently, Beeline is trying to challenge the mandatory nature of payments to Russian investors on the basis of presidential decrees, the newspaper's interlocutor added.

According to the lawyer, adviser to MEF Legal Alexandra Ambrasovskaya, in general, such requirements, when the company asks the court to recognize the act of the Central Bank as illegal, "are not so often declared." Such cases are found, but are not widespread "due to the specificity of the Central Bank's regulatory sphere," confirmed Valery Zinchenko, senior partner of the Pen & Paper Bar Association.^[5]

2022

Tele2 overtook Beeline for the first time in the number of subscribers in Russia

In early August 2023, it became known that Tele2 for the first time overtook Beeline in the number of subscribers in Russia. This happened back in 2022: by the end of this period, the subscriber base of T2 RTK Holding amounted to 48.1 million people. VimpelCom had 47 million subscribers, and by June 2023 their number had decreased to 44 million. Read more here.

Sale of business in Kazakhstan for 54 billion rubles

The Russian mobile operator VimpelCom (operating under the Beeline brand) sold its parent company, the Dutch telecommunications holding Veon, a business in Kazakhstan for 54 billion rubles. This follows from the reporting of VimpelCom under IFRS, which was released in early May 2023. Read more here.

VimpelCom sold a controlling stake in the Buzzton operator to Uzbectelecom

At the end of March 2023, it became known about the sale of VimpelCom's stake in the Uzbek fixed Internet operator Buzzton. The buyer of the asset was Uzbectelecom. Read more here.

Modernization of the network in the Rostov region for 2.8 billion rubles

In 2021-2022 VimpelCom invested 2.8 billion rubles in the development of networks in the Rostov region. The telecommunications operator spoke about this in February 2023.

As Kommersant writes with reference to the press service of VimpelCom, we are talking about investments in the construction of base stations and the modernization of networks in the Rostov region. It is noted that in 2021 the company's 4G network in the region was increased 1.6 times. Refarming was also carried out - frequency redistribution and bandwidth expansion to allow Internet traffic (2100 MHz). This increased the speed of mobile Internet by 2 times compared to December 2020, VimpelCom said.

Over the past two years, we have made a real breakthrough, investing almost 3 billion rubles. in ensuring continuous coverage and, accordingly, improving the quality of communication in the region. This applies to both large and small settlements, and in some villages today beeline is the only mobile operator, "said Rustam Kerimkhanov, director of the Rostov branch of Beeline.

According to him, in 2023 the company will continue to develop the network in the Rostov region. At the same time, he did not disclose the volume of planned investments in this project.

The speed of Internet access for VimpelCom subscribers in the Rostov region by the end of 2022 increased by 64% compared to a year ago. This was announced by the regional director of VimpelCom in the Southern region Svetlana Kostritsyna. According to her, the volume of traffic transmitted over the 4G network in the Rostov region over the year increased by 45%.

In addition to the Rostov region, the operator in 2022 improved the quality of communication in the tourist zones of the South of Russia. In particular, at recreation centers in the Volga Delta and at the Krasnaya Polyana, Arkhyz, Dombai and Elbrus ski resorts. VimpelCom ^[6]

Buying a stake in Knomary

On December 20, 2022, it became known about VimpelCom's investments in Knomary. The company did not disclose the financial and other terms of the transaction. It is only known that the Russian telecommunications operator acquired a minority stake in a Belarusian startup. Read more here.

VimpelCom sued 839 million rubles from Svyaznoy

In December 2022, the Moscow Arbitration Court, at the suit of the mobile operator PJSC Vympel-Communications, decided to recover about 839 million rubles from the company Network Svyaznoy LLC for unjust enrichment. Read more here.

Confirm Corporate Data Breach

In early December 2022, it became known about the leakage of these VimpelCom subscribers (Beeline brand). The company itself confirmed the information that appeared in the media.

The Information Leaks Telegram channel reported that on December 1, 2022, at 16:20, four LDIF files with data from internal users of Beeline systems in the Moscow, South, Ural and Central regions were uploaded to the anonymous Telegram channel. We are talking about almost 200,000 unique logins in the vimpelcom.ru domain, 100,000 home and mobile phones, 67,000 corporate e-mail addresses and other service information.

The founder of the data leak intelligence and monitoring service Darknet DLBI Ashot Hovhannisyan said "" To sheets that the leak contains all the data necessary for use in phishing and social attacks on company employees in an attempt to get them to perform many dangerous actions, including providing access to internal infrastructure.

We confirm the information about the public access of data from the corporate directory, which is available to every Beeline employee, - said a company representative (quoted by TASS).

At the same time, he said that the data of the customers of the mobile operator are safe. The company has launched an investigation into the incident.

The name from the merged database is easy to decode using any available online decoder, says Luka Safonov, technical director of Sinclit JSC. According to him, the database also has information about the unit in which the employee works. Safonov noted that this leak can be compared with leaks of almost all data of employees of Sberbank and Russian Railways in 2018 and 2019. respectively.

The hacker who posted the data of Beeline employees is already known for publishing leaks from large Russian companies, Ashot Hovhannisyan added.^[7]

Beeline executives will buy it from Veon on credit

Top managers of VimpelCom (Beeline brand) will buy out the Russian telecom operator from the parent holding Veon on credit. As they write Sheets"," the most likely creditor is considered. Sberbank

As part of the deal, VimpelCom was estimated at about 370 billion rubles, according to a Veon release. But in accordance with the agreement, Veon will receive remuneration only in the amount of 130 billion rubles. 240 billion rubles is a net debt of a Russian telecom company, a representative of the operator told the newspaper.

It is expected that the total amount of remuneration will be paid mainly due to the fact that VimpelCom will take over and pay off a certain debt of Veon Holdings B.V., which will significantly reduce the share of borrowed funds on Veon's balance sheet, the publication reports.

According to his source, close to the operator, in addition to Sberbank, VTB and Gazprombank can also oversee the purchase. However, this transaction is "forced and non-market," and Sber can act not only as a creditor, but also as a buyer of the asset, the interlocutor argues.

An analyst at MForum Aleksei Boyko called Sberbank the most likely candidate for lending to the transaction, but admitted that VTB and Gazprombank could be included in the pool of creditors. If a decision is made to "release the previous owners in peace," then it is logical to fulfill the terms of the transaction by one of the banks, the analyst said. According to him, banks, if necessary, can act as temporary holders of the asset before its transition to other owners in 2-3 years. A source close to the operator added that Sberbank could act not only as a creditor, but also as a buyer of the asset. Sberbank will oversee this deal, a source in one of the operators said, but other large banks can lend.^[8]

Top managers of VimpelCom buy out the operator from Veon

On November 24, 2022, VimpelCom announced the sale of the company to its leaders, including CEO Alexander Torbakhov. Under the terms of the agreement, Veon holding will help 130 billion rubles from the sale of the Russian asset.

According to the press service of VimpelCom, the deal is planned to be closed until June 1, 2023. At the same time, the parties agreed to increase the terms if the necessary licenses and permits of regulatory authorities are not obtained.

The financial adviser of the Veon holding on the deal was the investment bank Aspring Capital, the legal advisers on the deal were: from the holding Veon - the law firm ALRUD, from the buyers - the law firm Level Legal Services.

According to RBC sources, the deal may be cash-strapped, but VimpelCom will rewrite a significant share of Veon's debt, which in the third quarter of 2022 amounted to $8.2 billion. In addition, the deal will contain other additional conditions, but the interlocutors of the publication did not explain which ones.

We carefully analyzed all possible options and concluded that the sale of Russian business to the management of VimpelCom represents the most optimal solution for the Veon group, its Russian business and all interested parties, including our clients, shareholders, creditors, as well as employees of the Veon group both in Russia and abroad. Veon will strive to ensure that the deal goes as smoothly as possible for all employees and customers in Russia, without reducing the quality of the services provided, "said Veon CEO Kaan Terzioglu.

VimpelCom generates Veon about more than half of its revenue. According to the results of the third quarter of 2022, the revenues of the Russian asset increased by 16.1% and amounted to $1.19 billion. At the same time, revenue translated into rubles decreased by 6.1%, to 70.7 billion rubles.^[9]

Beginning to exit Veon

VEON has announced the start of the process of selling Russian business, part of which is VimpelCom, the owner of the Beeline brand. The company announced this on November 3, 2022.

The sale of VimpelCom was a matter of time, believes Kirill Lubnin, vice president of CROS for strategy and development. According to the expert, the transfer of assets to Russian shareholders will allow VimpelCom to expand its work.

The sale of Russian assets by the Dutch company VEON looks extremely logical, - said Kirill Lubnin. - Moreover, both parties are reputationally interested in this: both the European shareholder, who can avoid possible sanctions, and the Russian management, who will satisfy the requirements of the Russian regulator.

It is important that something is unlikely to change for consumers - remember how the VimpelCom sale to VEON went unnoticed for the consumer at one time, "said Kirill Lubnin. - However, thanks to the sale to Russian shareholders, VimpelCom will be able to work not only in the consumer sector, but also in the direction of state supplies b2g. In favor of this direction, it will play the fact that decision-making regarding the management of the company and its development will be carried out on the territory of the Russian Federation and, accordingly, in the interests of the Russian Federation.

How mobile operators in Russia support mobilized employees

September 29, 2022 became known for measures to support employees of Russian cellular companies, which fell under partial mobilization. Thus, VimpelCom told RIA Novosti that the company will provide additional payments and other support measures, for example, voluntary health insurance (VHI) policies for their families.

Tele2 said that in order to support mobilized employees and volunteers, it guarantees return to work after the end of military service and retains cash payments in the amount of average earnings for the duration of service. Also, the company will simultaneously pay the mobilized amount in the amount of 100 thousand rubles, or the amount of one official salary, if it exceeds 100 thousand rubles.

In addition, the company retains or acquires VHI insurance policies for each mobilized employee and volunteer; supports the families of employees - provides psychological, legal assistance and in exceptional cases makes payments up to 5 million rubles, - explained in the press service of Tele2.

MTS reported that the company will retain "jobs and wages in the amount of 100% for the mobilized employees, as well as provide additional support to their families in the form of health insurance and free communication services." MegaFon also promised material support for employees sent to military service as part of a special operation of the Russian Federation in Ukraine.

We are in constant contact and provide support to our employees and their families. In case of mobilization, we guarantee the preservation of the workplace, the employee can also count on material support, including one-time and monthly payments, - said in MegaFon[10]

The Ministry of Digital Development asks to allow VimpelCom to work with state orders

In July 2022, the head of the Ministry of Digital Industry Maksut Shadayev sent a letter to Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, in which he asks to introduce a moratorium on the prohibition of participation of companies controlled by offshore structures as suppliers in public procurement by 44-FZ before January 1, 2024. The ban was introduced in 2021 as part of the policy of deoffshorization of contractors, the norm will enter into force from 2023.

As Kommersant writes with reference to the text of this appeal, Shadayev considers the moratorium necessary so that VimpelCom can act as a provider of services for government agencies.

{{quote "PJSC" VimpelCom "in case of termination of participation in tenders for state and municipal needs by the end of 2023 will lose 5.5 billion rubles. due to the termination of contracts with current clients, including the Pension Fund, FAS, FCS, Rosreestr, Ministry of Emergency Situations, Ministry of Internal Affairs, in general more than 8 thousand state customers, - said in a letter from Shadaev to Mishustin. }} PJSC VimpelCom is owned by the Dutch Veon Holdings B.V., whose parent company is located in Bermuda. According to the newspaper's sources, the issue of "landing" the operator has been discussed for several months, while the company's access to public procurement until 2024 could "soften" the localization process, since the terms of the contracts played out in 2021 may end by December 2022.

Sergey Uchitel, partner of the Pen & Paper Bar Association, believes that the Ministry of Digital Development "is trying to generally introduce a moratorium on the rule not only for VimpelCom, but also for all companies with offshore founders that may lose access to the state order."

The head of NP-Edwise Natalya Pantyukhina added that if the proposal is approved, Ministry of Digital Development of companies will have time to restructure corporate governance and continue to participate in public procurement, which will be "the most stable market segment and the most interesting business both in terms of money and in terms of order volume."^[11]

Purchase of 100% of OTM advertising platform

On August 10, 2022, VimpelCom announced the closure of the acquisition of the Russian OTM group, which owns a technology platform for automation and planning of online advertising purchases. The company did not disclose the value of the transaction. Read more here.

A database with passports of home Internet users was leaked to the network

A database data with passports of users of the home Beeline was leaked to the network Internet , which became known at the end of July 2022. According to the information DLBI darknet search and monitoring service, a database from September 2021 was put up for sale with almost 1.5 million personal data of telecom operator subscribers connected at wired broadband Internet tariffs.

The seller posted on the site a test sample of the base with lines of Beeline customers from Astrakhan, Togliatti and St. Petersburg. There is a full name, home address, phone number, passport details and date of birth, DLBI said.

Meanwhile, Bilaine denies information about the leakage of data from home Internet subscribers:

Шаблон:Quote 'We checked this data and concluded that the published information was dated 2015. In other words, there is no new information about our clients there, only the one that was publicly available earlier, the message says. Bilaine also added that it has since taken additional measures to protect subscriber data.

A representative of Roskomnadzor told RBC that the department sent a request to Beeline demanding detailed information about a possible leak of personal data of service customers.

In the first half of 2022, several large data leaks were registered in Russia. Against this background, Ministry of Digital Development proposed introducing negotiable fines for personal data leaks. The amount of the revolving penalty depends on the company's revenue, it can be 1%, 5% or 15%. To date, the maximum fine for leakage of personal data for business is 500 thousand rubles.^[12]

Increase in 4G network capacity in the Krasnodar Territory

PJSC "VimpelCom" increased the bandwidth of the network and the speed of mobile Internet 4G in. Krasnodar Territory The speed of mobile Internet increased by 70% since May 2021. This became known on July 10, 2022.

This result is achieved by nobly conducting reframing - expanding the network bands for the 4G channel by redistributing frequencies. This means that for the transmission of packet data (Internet), the operator allocated more "bands," the connection remained stable, the speed increased. This makes it possible for subscribers to use online services, applications in a comfortable mode, to call video communications without "freezes."

In the Krasnodar Territory, the load on the network is growing faster due to a constant increase in the flow of tourists and internal migration. Over the year, Beeline subscribers began to download 23% more content. In order for customers to use the usual services in a comfortable mode, we are constantly working on the network and creating an additional supply of power. Also, for the convenience of subscribers, we launch new technologies and services. In 2021, the SON system was introduced in the region, redistributing the load on equipment during the movement of subscribers in automatic mode. In 2022, we launched the VoLTE service, thanks to which subscribers can simultaneously speak by phone and use mobile 4G Internet. We conducted several stages of reframing, and each of them increases the speed of mobile Internet, said Maxim Romanko, Director of the Krasnodar branch of Beeline.

In 2021, Beeline invested more than 2 billion rubles in the development of its infrastructure in the Krasnodar Territory. The 4G network, which provides high-speed mobile Internet, grew by 36%. Over the year, Beeline built new base stations in 40 settlements of the Beeline region^[13].

Transfer of 3G networks to LTE in Moscow and the Moscow region

On July 5, 2022, VimpelCom announced its intentions to abandon 3G communication standards and transfer the corresponding frequencies in the 2.1 GHz band to the LTE standard. This process has already been completed in Moscow and will be completed in the Moscow region by September 2022.

The company explained that the share of 3G in the total traffic volume in the Moscow region is gradually decreasing - from 16% in 2019 to 4% in 2022. In this regard, most of the company's investments are in the construction of new LTE base stations, which also have the ability to launch 5G when allocating the necessary frequencies. The number of users who use LTE and devices running on LTE is also growing.

VimpelCom noted that owners of phones that use only 3G (about 3% of smartphones in the region) will have to change their device in order to access mobile Internet via LTE technology.

VimpelCom also plans to refarm the 2.1 GHz band in other constituent entities of the Russian Federation. By the end of the first half of 2022, work was completed on reframing the 2100 range in St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region, in the Krasnodar Territory, in the Republic of Tatarstan and in Rostov-on-Don. The plans for 2022-2023 include the implementation of 2100 10 MHz range refarmings in more than 25 regions of Russia.

The general director of TMT Consulting, Konstantin Ankilov, in a conversation with Kommersant, said that the third generation of communications is the first candidate for disconnection amid a shortage of network capacity. However, according to him, operators will leave GSM networks to access voice communication in remote places, while Internet access is provided via LTE networks. According to Denis Kuskov, general director of the Telecom Daily information and analytical agency, in the Moscow region there are less than 3% of smartphones that support only 3G networks, and in the regions - up to 5%.^[14]

Creating a company "High" to invest in startups

On June 15, 2022, it became known that VimpelCom had created a new company that would invest in startups and support entrepreneurs in Russia. According to data from the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, Haiv LLC with an authorized capital of 10 thousand rubles was registered on June 10. The new company's activities included investments in authorized capital, venture capital investment, including through investment companies. Read more here.

Investing 12 billion rubles in the development of the network in the Moscow region

VimpelCom in 2021 spent about 12 billion rubles on the development of the network in Moscow and the Moscow region against 15.5 billion rubles a year earlier. The telecommunications operator released such data in early April 2022.

As noted in the company, VimpelCom has invested record funds for itself for two years in a row to improve the quality of communication in the Moscow region. In 2021, the operator built 6.7 thousand base stations in the city and region. The stations provide coverage on the territory of residential and commercial facilities in Moscow and the region, in 78 residential complexes and cottage villages, in 46 shopping and business centers. Over 50 thousand summer cottages in the Moscow region were also provided with a more stable signal due to new infrastructure, the company said in a statement. In addition, the operator installed base stations along roads and railways, and also provided communication in the territory from the Moscow Ring Road to the Central Ring Road.

In early May 2021, VimpelCom completed a large project in the Moscow region to expand the LTE 1800 frequency due to a similar 2G range. Thanks to which the speed of mobile Internet increased by an average of 30%. The operator also built more than 90 new 2G base stations.

2021, like 2020, was a year of large-scale network construction for us. We focused our efforts this time on the Moscow region, as we strive to provide equally high service both in the capital and outside the city, "said Dmitry Mashin, director of the VimpelCom Moscow region.

In addition, VimpelCom worked to improve voice calls through VoLTE. By the end of 2021, a third of customers were using the technology for voice. In 2021, voice traffic in LTE increased multiply, and in 2G/3G decreased by 30% ^[15]

Beeline subscribers write off money for international roaming, although they did not travel abroad

In early February 2022, VimpelCom experienced a major failure, as a result of which subscribers were written off for international roaming, although they did not travel abroad.

Olga Kurenkova, deputy editor-in-chief of the Nizhny Novgorod edition of the NN.ru, said that almost two thousand rubles were written off from her phone overnight.

It turned out that in the middle of the night I managed to visit somewhere abroad. At 02:54 I was charged 15 rubles for world roaming, at 02:55 - 990 rubles, at 04:37 - another 15, - said Kurenkova.

She wrote a complaint to technical support and added to the account. In the morning, another 840 and 45 rubles were written off from him. In technical support, she was never answered.

Judging by the reports in social networks, the amount of the debited funds varies from case to case - someone was debited only 120 rubles, others 300 rubles, and one of the users reported 3195 rubles.

As of 10:00 Moscow time on February 3, 2022, 274 complaints about the work of a mobile operator were recorded on the Downdetector website, which monitors failures and outages on popular Internet resources. Most complaints were received about the work of the mobile Internet (82%), lack of signal (13%) and the work of the website (6%).

On February 3, 2022, VimpelCom confirmed the failure and announced that it would return funds to its subscribers for using the mobile Internet, which were mistakenly written off due to problems. Their reasons have not been disclosed.

Indeed, some of our subscribers could have incorrectly debited funds for using the mobile Internet. We have already corrected this error and in the near future we will return to each client the excessively debited money to the mobile phone account. Our subscribers will also be additionally informed about this by SMS, the company's press service told RIA Novosti.[16]

2021

The founder of VimpelCom Dmitry Zimin died

December 22, 2021 it became known about the death of Dmitry Zimin. The founder of VimpelCom and the Dynasty charitable foundation died in Switzerland at the age of 88. Read more here.

Beeline absorbs IBS DataFort. Regulators approve deal

On December 16, VimpelCom"" announced the acquisition of IBS DataFort, part of the IBS group. TAdviser found out that VimpelCom was negotiating the acquisition of IBS DataFort back in March, and now the parties have received all the necessary regulatory approvals. IBS clarified TAdviser that the deal was concluded and is at state the registration stage. More. here

Brand, logo and slogan update for the first time in 16 years

In mid-October 2021, VimpelCom announced its first rebranding in 16 years. The Russian mobile and fixed-line operator has introduced a new brand, slogan and logo. Now the slogan of the company sounds like "On your side," and the former - "Live on the bright side."

The bright side is just one of the many facets of life in all its diversity. Choose the one that is closer to you. And we will support you, because the beeline is on your side, "VimpelCom said in a press release.

The yellow-black logo "acquires dynamism and vivacity and at the same time turns to face the person without losing recognition." The name of the brand is now written only in lowercase letters - "beeline."

So we focus on humanity, simplicity and digitality, - explained in the telecommunications company.

According to representatives of the operator, this idea will eventually be broadcast not only through the "appearance" of the company, the visual side and products. In accordance with it, the work of services and experience in interacting with the brand will be built.

The development of the updated brand was carried out by the Contrapunto agency from the BBDO agency group, and the development of advertising campaigns was carried out by the Leo Burnett Moscow agency. No additional costs were required for this, all changes were paid for within the approved advertising budget.

In addition, the operator has updated the website interface and released a new mobile application. The Android version is already available on Google Play, and the iOS version will be released soon, VimpelCom promised on October 14, 2021.

In addition, by the end of 2021, the operator will update tariffs and sales channels. In particular, the company announced the emergence of the "Your Solution" tariff: it will allow users to independently set the volume of packages of minutes and the Internet. Other Russian operators offer similar tariffs.^[17]

Beeline subscriber accidentally found out that 1.7 thousand corporate numbers were registered to it

A TAdviser resident who faced Moscow Ekaterina Litvinova fraud when registering cell numbers for her turned to the editorial office. personal data According to the citizen, it follows that she saw in her personal account on (EPGU Unified Portal state and Municipal Services, "Goservugi") 1732 information messages about the provision of the service "Activation of Corporate Card SIM." Read more here. [1]

Data 70% of VimpelCom subscribers got into public access

In mid-September 2021, it became known about a major leak of these VimpelCom subscribers. Personal data (passport data, emails, phone numbers, etc.) of users of home Internet services were freely available, said independent computer security expert Bob Dyachenko.

Ashot Oganesyan, founder of the DLBI darknet intelligence and monitoring service, is also aware of this leak: according to him, the open server contains about 4.2 TB of data, which contains records of up to 2 million customers. The total number of VimpelCom home Internet subscribers in the second quarter of 2021 was 2.86 million (data from TMT Consulting).

VimpelCom said that according to the company's estimates, the database from which the leak occurred contains only technical logs of "a small part of fixed Internet subscribers."

The database was not posted on sale on shadow forums by September 15, 2021, but Hovhannisyan believes that during this time it was downloaded more than once. Petr Kutsenko, an expert from Rostelecom-Solar, suggests that the most sensitive personal data have leaked and the consequence may be financial fraud and personalized phishing.

Our specialists conducted an additional investigation of the incident and once again made sure that all data is under reliable protection, and nothing threatens our customers. Nevertheless, we initiated an internal investigation, which should help establish the source of the dissemination of this information, the operator assured.

Roskomnadzor sent a request to VimpelCom about the possible leakage of personal data of about 2 million subscribers of wired broadband Internet, the operator faces a fine of up to 100 thousand rubles (Article 13.11 of the Administrative Code of the Russian Federation).

The department also recalled that citizens affected by the compromise of personal data have the right to demand proportionate compensation from the company both in pre-trial and in court.^[18]

Payment of 700 thousand rubles for spam

The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) of Russia fined VimpelCom 700 thousand rubles for spreading spam. The department announced this on September 9, 2021.

Two fines of 350 thousand rubles were imposed on the Russian telecommunications company. each for the direction of advertising in information messages about the state of the balance and payment, as well as in push messages floating on the phone screen, while subscribers did not give consent to receive such additional information to the telecom operator.

In the first case, the consent to receive advertising was entered into the contract of communication services with PJSC VimpelCom. The telecom operator insisted on the presence in the contract of a column "does not agree to receive advertising," in which the subscriber had the opportunity to tick and refuse advertising, but did not do so. However, the applicant submitted a copy of the contract in which such a column was absent. Thus, consent to receive advertising was not voluntary, but was imposed on the subscriber.

In the second case, another person who was not the owner of the telephone number and did not have the right to provide such consent filled out the questionnaire with consent to receive advertising, the press service of the FAS Office in Moscow reports.

According to the head of the department, Ekaterina Solovyova, telecom operators with such extensive information about their own subscribers should be more careful when checking their consent to receive advertising. Filling out any questionnaires, applications and permits by an unauthorized person cannot exclude the fact of violation, and even more so does not justify a telecom operator who has sufficient information about the belonging of a telephone number to a specific citizen, she said.^[19]

Implementation of the ability to buy and activate SIM-cards without going to the operator's office

In September 2021, Russians were able to buy and activate SIM cards without going to the office of the telecom operator. This opportunity was implemented by VimpelCom (Beeline brand) using the State Key service from the Ministry of Digital Development of the Russian Federation.

"State Key" allows you to create your own enhanced unqualified electronic signature, which can be used to sign an agreement for the provision of mobile radiotelephone services. Thus, to obtain communication services, it is not necessary to go to the sales office and sign paper contracts, it is enough to create an electronic signature in the State Key service. To register there, you only need a confirmed public service account. It is argued that the electronic signature of the State Key service guarantees the safety and reliability of all transactions due to the appropriate level of cryptographic protection.

According to the press service of VimpelCom, to start the process of activating a SIM card, you need to use a special site, a link to which will automatically come SMS with a message as soon as the subscriber inserts the SIM card into the phone. After completing the necessary registration actions, you can start using the selected tariff: call, send SMS, go to Internet , etc.

It is important for Bilainu to use the most modern technologies in its work to create the most comfortable customer experience. Thanks to the State Key service, obtaining Beeline services has become even easier and faster, "said Svetlana Kirsanova, executive vice president of VimpelCom for retail business.

According to her, the company plans to expand the list of products and services that can be accessed remotely. At the same time, Kirsanov did not disclose more detailed plans of the operator.

Sale of the National Tower Company to Service Telecom

On September 6, 2021, Veon announced the sale of its tower business in Russia. The telecommunications holding entered into an agreement with Service-Telecom, which agreed to buy a portfolio of antenna mast structures for 70.65 billion rubles. Read more here.

Cooperation with Sechenov University in the field of IT development for medical tasks

PJSC VimpelCom (brand) Beeline and (FSAEI HE First Moscow State Medical University named after I.M. Sechenova Ministry of Health of Russia Sechenov University) signed an agreement on cooperation in the field, information technology as well as the creation of software information and analytical systems and management systems. VimpelCom announced this on August 13, 2021. More. here

Purchase of 55.37% of Uzbek telecommunications company Buzzton

At the end of June 2021, it became known about the transfer of a controlling stake in Buzzton to the Russian VimpelCom. As Kommersant writes with reference to the SPARK-Interfax system, on March 31, 2021, VimpelCom received 55.37% of the Uzbek telecommunications company, which is a joint venture between Veon and the state operator Uzbectelecom. Read more here.

Purchase of DataFort

On June 9, 2021, it became known about the purchase of DataFort by VimpelCom. The Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) received a corresponding petition. Read more here.

Creation of a joint venture with Rostelecom and MegaFon to clear 5G frequencies

The companies VimpelCom"," MegaFon"" and Rostelecom"" have agreed that they will become members of LLC "New Digital Solutions" (NCR) with equal shares in the authorized capital. This was reported on June 3, 2021 TAdviser by MegaFon. The joint venture (JV) of operators will deal with issues of providing radio frequency resources for. creation of fifth generation mobile networks (5G) in Russia More. here

Tinkoff Bank filed a lawsuit for 436.8 million rubles against VimpelCom

On June 1, 2021, it became known about the lawsuit that Tinkoff Bank filed with VimpelCom in the Moscow Arbitration Court. The credit institution requires 436.8 million rubles from the telecommunications operator. The third party in the lawsuit is the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) of Russia.

According to the text of the statement of claim, Tinkoff Bank accused VimpelCom of abusing its "dominant position by establishing and maintaining a monopolistically high price for SMS mailing services, as well as creating discriminatory conditions."

The bank estimated at about 400 million rubles its losses from the establishment and maintenance by the telecom operator of monopolistically high tariffs for SMS mailings. Another 40 million rubles in the bank's statement are claims for the collection of interest for the use of other people's money.

At the end of March 2021, Tinkoff Bank filed a similar lawsuit against the mobile operator. MTS Then the amount of claims was 1.117 billion rubles. The lawsuit is related to the decision of the FAS against operators who abused the monopoly high price for SMS-mailing services. A source RBC close to MTS then reported that the bank had already sent similar claims or would soon send them to other operators.

Earlier, the FAS admitted that MTS, Tele2 and VimpelCom violated the law on protection of competition. The agency found out that the cost of their services for organizations without state participation could be 10 times higher than the cost of similar services for organizations with state participation in capital. This created discriminatory conditions and contradicted antitrust laws, the FAS said. In addition, the service revealed that operators set monopolistically high prices for the SMS service. She issued instructions to telecom operators, in connection with which they were supposed to reduce tariffs.^[20]

Absentee arrest of the son of the founder of VimpelCom in the murder case

In May 2021, the Presnensky District Court of Moscow arrested Sergei Zimin in absentia, who is the son of VimpelCom founder Dmitry Zimin. He was put on the international wanted list, to which Interpol was connected. Read more here.

Liquidation of Golden Telecom

In April 2021, it became known about the closure of Golden Telecom about 13 years after its purchase by VimpelCom. The liquidation of the relevant legal entity is reported in the reporting of the Big Four operator. Read more here.

Creation of VimpelCom-Information Technologies IT company

In early April 2021, VimpelCom announced the creation of a company that will develop and support IT products - VimpelCom-Information Technologies LLC (VK-IT). Read more here

Source: VimpelCom in talks to buy IBS DataFort

VimpelCom is negotiating the acquisition of cloud provider IBS DataFort, part of the IBS group, an informed source in the IT market told TAdviser on March 30, 2021. According to the interlocutor of TAdviser, negotiations on the deal as of the end of March are in the final stage. Read more here.

2020

Investing 15.5 billion rubles in the development of the network in Moscow and the Moscow region

VimpelCom in 2020 invested 15.5 billion rubles in the development of its network in Moscow and the Moscow region. The volume of investments turned out to be several times more than in previous years.

During 2020, VimpelCom built more than 10 thousand new base stations in the Moscow region, which is three more than in the previous year. In 2021, it is planned to build another 6.9 thousand base stations in Moscow and the Moscow region.

Thanks to the large-scale construction, as stated in the company, mobile Internet has become even faster and more accessible for 800 thousand residents living in 80 new residential complexes and 70 cottage villages in Moscow and the Moscow region. Also, the stability of mobile services has improved along the route of clients on the Moscow Ring Road and highways - from the Moscow Ring Road to the nearest satellite city (Novorizhskoye, Gorkovskoye, Kashirskoye, Nosovikhinskoye, Rublevo-Uspenskoye, Borovskoye, Shchelkovskoye, Yegoryevskoye, Kyiv, Leningradskoye, Dmitrovskoye highways) and on 10 main railway directions from the center of Moscow to the satellite city.

The campaign for the development of the VimpelCom network in the Moscow region included two stages. At the first of them, the existing infrastructure was upgraded to the 5G-Ready standard. The second stage of the operator focused efforts on the construction of new infrastructure, setting a record in 2020 in terms of the pace and volume of construction of the new network in the entire history of the company.

As a result of the work carried out, the company increased the average speed of mobile Internet by 74%, and the maximum - up to 350 Mbps. At the end of 2020, voice traffic in 4G networks increased by more than 300 times and for the first time in terms of volume equaled 2G.

It is also noted that in 2020 in the capital's VimpelCom networks, the number of converged subscribers (using mobile and fixed operator services under one contract) was equal to the number of customers using only fixed operator services.^[21]

Not outsourcing network development

At the end of November 2020, it became known about VimpelCom's refusal to outsource network development. The Russian telecommunications operator decided to service its infrastructure on its own and for this returns employees who previously moved to Huawei and Nokia.

As Vedomosti writes with reference to the materials of VimpelCom, the operator ceases to use the services of Huawei and Nokia for the design, construction and monitoring of the cellular network, as well as key infrastructure elements (switches, service platforms, etc.). Huawei clarified to the publication that the company will continue service cooperation with VimpelCom, but the areas of responsibility will be redistributed.

Manufacturers will be engaged in technical support of network equipment supplied to VimpelCom, and will be involved in repair and restoration work, a representative of the operator told the newspaper. About 1,600 specialists will move to VimpelCom, as a result of which the number of employees of the technical unit after insourcing will more than double.

Employees who provide technical functions will move from Nokia and Huawei to VimpelCom. Most of the employees of the new structure will work in the company's branches, which will speed up the optimization and development of the network, taking into account the requests of customers of specific settlements. Another part of the employees will be transferred to headquarters, the Russian company said. It is noted that the transformation processes will take place gradually over six months.

By combining key technical functions under one control, we will further increase the efficiency of the technical unit, which will help to implement even more ambitious technical projects, "said Valery Shorzhin, Executive Vice President for Technology at VimpelCom.[22]

Rashid Ismailov is the new president of VimpelCom, he will be responsible for state contracts

On August 19, 2020, VimpelCom announced the appointment of Rashid Ismailov as president of the company. Previously, this post was held by Alexander Krupnov, now he is moving to the position of adviser to the president. Read more here.

VimpelCom bought WestCall

On August 7, 2020, it became known about the sale of WestCall to VimpelCom. Information about this transaction was disclosed by the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS). Read more here.

Closing of 627 communication salons in 9 months

VimpelCom closed 627 communication salons in 9 months. This is stated in the reports of the Veon holding, which includes the Russian mobile and fixed-line operator.

The company cut its retail business harder than it had planned. According to the plans announced earlier, VimpelCom was going to close 600 stores in 2019-2020: 200 in 2019 and 400 in 2020. At the end of the second quarter, the number of Beeline salons amounted to about 2.4 thousand units excluding the franchise, the number of franchise outlets - about 1.6 thousand.

In April 2020, Vedomosti, citing its sources, wrote about VimpelCom's plans to abandon all existing communication salons and transfer the entire retail network to franchise partners. According to the publication, the company faced an increase in losses of its retail network - in 2019 they grew to more than 1.4 billion rubles. The cost of its maintenance turned out to be 430 million rubles more than the proceeds from its activities.

We see that the telecom market is absurd in a sense, it has a number of stores that significantly exceeds how much is needed to serve the real needs of customers. The real customers who really come to us are several times less than the so-called sales from all mobile operators, "said Alexander Torbakhov, General Director of VimpelCom.

According to him, the retail chain by the beginning of August 2020 is "not in the best shape," but its further prospects will largely be determined by the pace of market recovery.

Torbakhov did not specify whether the company plans to continue to reduce its offline presence at the same pace, but in general, according to the head of VimpelCom, reducing operator retail is the right strategy in the current market conditions.^[23]

Former Deputy Minister of Communications Rashid Ismailov moved to VimpelCom

On July 13, 2020, it became known about the transfer of Rashid Ismailov to work at VimpelCom. At a meeting of the State Commission on Radio Frequencies (GKRCH), the former deputy head of the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications of the Russian Federation spoke on behalf of this telecommunications company. Read more here.

VimpelCom put Igor Bardintsev at the head of a new data unit

Igor Bardintsev has been appointed vice president of the new division - the VimpelCom data unit (Beeline brand). His appointment came into force on May 15, 2020. This was reported in VimpelCom on May 25. More Bardintsev Igor.

Also in the "VimpelCom" reported on other appointments. Alexander Pankov has been appointed Vice President for Interaction with State Authorities of the company. The appointment entered into force on May 18, 2020. Read more here.

Alexander Illis has been appointed the administrative director of VimpelCom. The appointment entered into force on May 12, 2020. Read more here.

Inclusion in the list of backbone organizations

In March 2020, the Government Commission for Improving the Sustainability of the Russian Economy included VimpelCom in the list of strategic organizations. Read more here.

Creation of Retail Innovation Tech Alliance

On February 25, 2020, M.Video-Eldorado Group told TAdviser that together with X5 Retail Group, Beeline and Hoff created an alliance to find and implement innovations. Retail Innovation Tech Alliance (RITA) will look for technological solutions both on the Russian market and on international startup sites. Read more here.

Appointment of Viktor Biryukov Acting General Director of VimpelCom

On February 17, 2020, VimpelCom (Beeline brand) announced the appointment of Viktor Biryukov as interim general director of the company. Read more here.

On February 14, it became known that at the end of June 2020, Vasil Latsanich would leave the post of general director of the company. In this regard, VimpelCom is looking for a candidate to replace this position.

2019

4G network share in total traffic increased by 2 times in two years

Beeline continues to develop a mobile data network. Over the past two years, as many 4G base stations have been built as for the rest of the company's operation. In 2018, Beeline implemented the largest 4G network construction plan in its history. In 2019, the pace increased by another 30%, and Beeline became the leader in the speed of 4G network development among Russian operators. This was announced on February 21, 2020 by VimpelCom.

By doubling the 4G network, Beeline gave customers the opportunity to use more mobile Internet and prepared the IT infrastructure in advance for the next round of traffic growth. In 2019, traffic in the 4G network increased 2 times compared to 2018, and in two years the load on the 4G network increased 4 times. Over the past two years, on average, each client has consumed 2 times more Internet traffic.

The large-scale development of the network also prepared the infrastructure for servicing additional subscribers. The share of customers with 4G smartphones has grown more than 1.5 times in 2 years, including by providing 4G coverage in those territories where this technology was previously absent. At the end of 2019, the coverage area of ​ ​ the population with the 4G network increased by 12% compared to the beginning of the year and is 86%. More and more customers began to use high-speed Internet, and the share of the 4G network in the total traffic volume at the end of 2019 is 78%, having increased 2 times in two years.

Despite the constantly increasing load, the average speed of access to mobile Internet in the 4G network over two years increased by 33%. The speed was increased by the built base stations and projects to modernize the network and optimize the use of the frequency band. So in two years, the refarming of the frequencies of the LTE 1800 MHz network has almost been completed. Beeline Technical Directorate employees increased LTE bandwidth from 5 MHz to 10 MHz in 56 branches of the company and completed reframing work in 97% of branches.

Beeline also replaced 95% of base stations in Russia with modern equipment that provides instant access to online resources, fast uploading of photos and videos and comfortable use of online games. The company has completed modernization in 32 branches and continues to operate in 45 territories.

The Beeline network development strategy is synchronized with global trends. According to a 2019 study by We Are Social and Hootsuite, in more than half of cases, people use the internet from smartphones. This share is constantly growing, taking time from computers and laptops. In 2019, on average, residents of Russia spent 2 hours and 26 minutes a day on social networks, and in total spent about 7 hours a day on the Internet, which is more than the global average. In the near future, mobile Internet will be the main way to access the network for most users. Beeline offers customers the speeds they need, and in the future, a quick transition to 5G technology.

1,678 complaints to Roskomnadzor about communication services

On February 12, 2020 Roskomnadzor , he summed up the results of systematic work with citizens' appeals regarding the provision of services communications by the Big Four operators. In 2019, more than 6.4 thousand such appeals were considered, of which 1,678 fell on PJSC Vimpeokom. More. here

Beeline organizes a "smart city" in Novosibirsk Akadempark

On October 21, 2019, Akadempark announced that, together with PJSC VimpelCom (Beeline brand), they signed the Roadmap for Interaction for the Period 2019-2020, which enshrines specific projects for cooperation between the parties. The document was signed by Vice President for Digital and New Business Development Beeline George Held and General Director of Akadempark Vladimir Nikonov.

According to the Roadmap, the Smart Beeline City will be deployed on the basis of Akadempark, which will combine various solutions of the operator in the field of the Internet of Things. By the spring of 2020, Akadempark provides for the installation of "smart metering devices" and "smart lighting," and the Smart city Beeline software will also be launched. For a visual demonstration of the operation of the smart city system, a demonstration stand will be organized.

The roadmap also provides that from December 2019, students of universities in Novosibirsk and residents of Akadempark will have access to the Beeline big data training cluster to study the possibilities of working and testing algorithms. By the end of 2019, Beeline is expected to install its servers in the data center on the territory of Academpark, which will become a training platform for students and residents of Academpark. In addition, the Roadmap provides for measures to work Beeline with startups in the digital sphere and in the field of telecommunications.

The signing of the Roadmap continues to develop the cooperation between Beeline and Academpark, provided for by the agreement concluded in August 2018. In October 2018, Beeline deployed a standard on the territory of Akademgorodok in test mode NB-IoT (Narrow Band Internet of Things) - a modern technology Internet of things on the network. LTE NB-IoT technology allows you to connect several thousand devices to the network at a time, which is of particular importance for creating a full-fledged "smart city."

We see great potential in the development of the direction of "smart cities." The involvement of young specialists in this work will make it possible to fully reveal the potential of existing solutions, as well as help create more innovative and sought-after services. Cooperation with Academpark expands our capabilities in this direction, said Beeline Vice President of Digital and New Business Development George Held

Cooperation with Beeline is of great importance to us. Since the conclusion of the agreement in August 2018, we have constantly opened up opportunities for Beeline to work on the territory of Akadempark in Novosibirsk. The joint work of the scientific community and business is the key to the success of the projects being implemented, and we expect that these opportunities will become the basis for the implementation of Beeline plans, noted General Director of Akadempark JSC Vladimir Nikonov

Beeline confirmed the leak of the database of its clients

On October 7, 2019, it became known that the VimpelCom telecom operator (Beeline trademark) confirmed the fact of leakage of data from its customers containing information about millions of wired Internet users . According to RIA Novosti, the company has begun investigating the incident.

According to Beeline representatives, the stolen and distributed database data contains information relevant for 2017. "Some of the information in the distributed archive does contain data from the subscriber base of fixed clients, Internet but a significant part of the information is outdated and irrelevant," the company noted.

According to distributors, the leaked database contains details about 8 million subscribers of the Beeline wired Internet. At the same time, the operator himself, commenting on the leak, claims that the number of wired Internet users for the second quarter of 2019 totaled no more than 2.5 million people.

The database includes information about the names and surnames of customers, contract numbers. In addition, their home and work addresses are listed, depending on where exactly the Internet is, and the contact phone number. The database does not contain passport data of subscribers and their passwords to personal accounts, however, the number of the phone or contract is most often used as logins.

The leak of the Beeline database was reported by a large Telegram channel. On October 4, 2019, he distributed a post with links to downloading a database and program to work with it. On October 4, 2019, Beeline still denied this fact, stating that any information about the appearance on the Web of a database with information about wired Internet subscribers is false.

Beeline specialists, according to company representatives, are making every effort to ensure that such leaks are not repeated. They noted that the company reached out to all file-sharing agents that hosted the database, many of whom deleted it immediately after the request.

Meanwhile, as noted in, CNews as of October 7, 2019 DB , it was still available for free download, as well as instructions for working with it through the not-so-up-to-date version Russian applications CronosPRO developed by the company. " Cronos-Inform CNews has made sure that the database file is available - the RAR archive weighs approximately 2 GB, is distributed in password-protected form and downloaded "without SMS registration."

CronosPro statistics indicate the content of over 8.7 million records in the database, which exceeds the information announced by distributors about 8 million customers. Nevertheless, CNews made sure that we are not talking about the number of subscribers, but about the number of lines in the database itself - several contracts can be registered per person. The password for the database archive is distributed along with a link to the file itself.

As representatives of Beeline noted, the operator's security service began to investigate the incident. At the time of publication of the material, the guilty (or guilty) of the leak was not found. The company has sought help from its customers, partners and even competitors.

Beeline, RIA Novosti writes, is investigating together with "competent authorities and departments." This is done in order to prevent the disclosure of personal information not only of its own customers, but also of subscribers of other telecom operators.^[24]

FAS: rise in prices for SMS mailings up to 200%

On August 21, 2019, it became known that the Moscow Arbitration Court satisfied Megafon's claim against the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS). The lawsuit was filed in connection with the decision of the FAS of May 2019, in which the company was recognized as a violator of antimonopoly legislation in terms of increasing the cost of SMS mailings and establishing unequal conditions for state and non-state banks. According to the materials of the FAS in the case of increasing the cost of SMS-mailings by the four federal telecom operators, the largest increase in prices occurred at Megafon - up to 500%. In VimpelCom, the cost increased to 200%, in MTS - to 120% and in Tele2 - to 80%. Read more here.

LTE Base Station Growth by 20% to 52,318

On June 20, 2019, it became known that T2 Mobile LLC (brand) Tele2 increased the number of base stations (BS) of the standard LTE from the beginning of the year by a quarter - to 65,056 RES. Now Tele2 lags behind PJSC "" MTS by 2.9 thousand. LTE BS. At the same time, MTS's number of LTE base stations at the beginning of June decreased by 136 compared to the indicator of the beginning of May. PJSC "" (VimpelCom Beeline brand) increased the number of LTE BSs by 20% to 52,318 RES. More. here

FAS recognized VimpelCom, MTS and Tele2 as violators of antimonopoly legislation

On May 15, 2019, it became known that the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) recognized mobile operators Mobile Telesystems (MTS), VimpelCom and T2 Mobile as violators of the Law on Protection of Competition. We are talking about the establishment of discriminatory conditions when forming tariffs for SMS mailings for state and commercial organizations that put consumers in an unequal position. Read more here.

2017

More than half of VimpelCom employees began to work remotely

VimpelCom transferred more than half (56%) of employees to remote work. The BeeFree program, launched in 2016, implies that employees can work outside the office several days a week, RBC writes in January 2018. In some regions, the share of remote workers of the operator reached 61%. In total, the company employs 21.7 thousand people.

It was planned that the program will allow to abandon 30% of rented space. Space savings were 24% and office rental and maintenance costs were down 25%.

In order to be able to work outside the office, employees conclude an addition to the employment contract. They can also use their own equipment for work - in VimpelCom they can install all the necessary programs on a personal laptop. Specialists in sales offices, technical workers and those who work with a large amount of documentation cannot work remotely.

According to the publication, MTS and MegaFon also said that their employees have the opportunity to work remotely. Tele2 also plans to adopt the experience.

After a quarrel with the landlord, Beeline moves to the Bolshevik factory

Telecommunications operator Vimpelcom (part of the Veon group, Beeline trademark) has agreed with the investment company O1 Properties to lease office space in the Bolshevik cultural and business complex owned by the group. As stated in the joint message of the parties, the lease agreement of 17 thousand square meters. m of space will be concluded for seven years. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed^[25]

The Bolshevik complex is located in Moscow on Leningradsky Prospekt. The complex began its history at the end of the 19th century, when the confectionery factory A. Siu and Co was built on these squares. In Soviet times, the factory was nationalized and renamed "Bolshevik."

Preparing to launch 5G

At the beginning of the year, PJSC VimpelCom (Beeline brand) announced the signing of an agreement on joint study and testing of technologies underlying 5G networks. Cooperation with Huawei is designed to determine steps towards the development of Beeline networks on the path to 5G as part of the VimpelCom digital transformation strategy. In addition, help Huawei create solutions that meet market requirements as much as possible. Watch more 5G in Bilaine (VimpelCom).

VimpelCom will sell 13 thousand towers to Russian Towers

The VimpelCom operator agreed with the Russian Towers infrastructure company to sell it 13 thousand telecom towers worth $700 million. The transaction will be completed in the second quarter of 2017.

A tender for the sale of the asset was announced at the end of 2015. The bidding process was delayed, because, according to the publication, VimpelCom planned to receive $1bn for the towers, but the proposals received amounted to about half of this amount, and the value of the asset was revised. All towers of the company will be allocated to the subsidiary organization of the provider - JSC "National Tower Company." Through the sale of towers, VimpelCom intends to maximize cash benefits and find new reliable partners.

2016: Tele2 and VimpelCom will unite networks in 27 regions

VimpelCom and Tele2 agreed in the summer of 2016 to create a joint network in several dozen regions of Russia, follows from their agreement of intent, which Vedomosti managed to get acquainted with. Operators will share passive and active infrastructure (communication channels and switching equipment), as well as 2G, 3G and 4G (LTE) frequencies in 27 regions, including Irkutsk, Saratov, Tver regions, St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region, Krasnodar Territory, the agreement says, under which the signatures of the general directors of VimpelCom Mikhail Slobodin and Tele2 Sergei Emdin. In addition, the companies agreed to create united networks in eight more regions - Magadan, Ulyanovsk, Omsk, Astrakhan, Ryazan and Orenburg regions, Kamchatka and Mordovia - but with a reservation: since VimpelCom has similar agreements with other operators in these territories, it should try to talk with them about concluding trilateral agreements, with the participation of Tele2^[26].

The partnership between VimpelCom and Tele2 does not apply to Moscow and the region, in addition, Tele2's 450 MHz frequencies are not included in it - until it builds a commercial network on them.

The purpose of the agreement is to reduce the operating and capital costs of both companies: from now on they will share the costs of maintenance and modernization of the network. How significant savings can be is not specified in the agreement.

2015: Plan to Lay Off Thousands of Employees

Telecommunications operator VimpelCom (Beeline trademark) announced a large-scale staff reduction plan. About this in an interview with the TV channel "Russia-24" said the general director of the operator Slobodin Mikhail^[27].

Slobodin did not name the exact number of people who will fall under the abbreviations. But, he said, there would be "tens of percent." In total, VimpelCom employs 27 thousand employees, that is, several thousand people will be left without work.

Slobodin stressed that the cuts will not affect people who directly interact with customers: in particular, employees of call centers and a monobrand network.

The cuts will take place in the management sphere: people who, to one degree or another, participate in decision-making, including at the level of branches and regional departments, will be fired. The number of regional offices will also be reduced.

At the same time, VimpelCom announced that it was uniting a number of its macro-regions: the Volga and Ural macro-regions would be merged into the Volga-Ural region (it would have 18 regional branches), and the Siberian and Dalne-Vostnochny regions into the Vostok macro-region (it would unite 15 regions).

2013: Beeline creates a special department for digital communications with customers

VimpelCom is creating a special division for digital communications with customers, Alexander Popovsky, executive vice president of the mass market development company, said in November 2013.

He explained to TAdviser that the new division will deal with everything related to interacting with customers online, including a self-service system (personal accounts of customers) and an online store. In addition, all contacts with clients via SMS and USSD commands also belong to this area.

Alexander Popovsky explains the need to create such a division by the fact that now digital interaction with clients in the company is fragmented, the tasks associated with it are distributed among several departments, while for the client it is a single system. The creation of a separate department should provide a holistic approach to this area.

In the near future, the staff of this unit will be about 50-60 people, and subsequently it is planned to transfer to it employees who physically serve clients on social networks, etc., and then the staff will be even higher, says Popovsky. Who will become the head of the new division has not yet been determined.

Speaking about the current level of Beeline's digital interaction with customers, the company's executive vice president for mass market development notes that in the summer of 2013 the operator launched a new version of his personal account that fully meets modern requirements in terms of usability, convenience, which is gaining great popularity.

Compared to the previous version of the personal account, the number of users of the new version has increased significantly, he notes. The number of regular users of the system, according to Alexander Popovsky, as of November 2013 is about 2 million.

The Beeline representative also notes that this is beneficial for the operator himself - in terms of reducing service costs, and in terms of convenience for the client: "For example, there are often some psychological barriers associated with communication by phone or in the communication salon, in addition, it takes more time, and in your personal account you can safely see what services are connected, what money is spent on and more," Popovsky notes.

2010: Vimpelcom Ltd buys back Vimpel Communications shares

On May 25, 2010, Vimpelcom Ltd began a forced share buyback process to acquire all remaining shares of OJSC VimpelCom at a price of RUB 11,800 per share. (which amounted to approximately $382.18 per share at the exchange rate as of May 25, 2010), as well as American depositary shares, at a price of 590 rubles. for one AD (which was approximately $19.11 at the exchange rate as of May 25, 2010) net of expenses and expenses retained by the Bank of New York Mellon. The redemption price was set at the market value of the share of OJSC VimpelCom, determined as of February 28, 2010 by an independent Russian appraiser in accordance with Russian law. The valuation was supplemented by a cost analysis carried out by Deloitte & Touche.

On August 9, 2010, VimpelCom Ltd. announced the completion of the acquisition of all shares of Vimpel-Communications Open Joint Stock Company (OJSC VimpelCom), including those represented in the form of American depositary shares (ADS), from the remaining minority shareholders as a result of forced redemption.

In accordance with the procedure for compulsory share repurchases under Russian law, VimpelCom Ltd. Paid for minority shareholders and holders of ADA of OJSC VimpelCom as of July 14, 2010 the funds due to them for redeemable securities, and their shares on August 9, 2010 were credited to VimpelCom Ltd. Thus, VimpelCom OJSC became a 100% subsidiary of VimpelCom Ltd..

At this time, Vimpel Communications (VimpelCom) is the leading integrated telecommunication Russia ^[28] operator providing services under the "" trademark. Beeline Became the first Russian company included in the listing of the New York Stock Exchange^[29]

The company operates in all regions of Russia ^[28][30] CIS Kazakhstan countries (,, To Ukraine Tajikistan,, and Uzbekistan), Georgia Armenia providing cellular (and UMTS) GSM and fixed-line services, wired (FTTB) and wireless () Wi-Fi high-speed access to,, as well as Internet IP televisions corporate services (Beeline Business). Activities are underway in Vietnam and Cambodia.

At this time, three geographical business units were allocated to VimpelCom Group of Companies - Russia, CIS, International Business. ^[31] Since July 1, 2008, the Rossiya business unit has been developing as an integrated telecommunications area, including mobile and fixed operations.

2009

Acquisition of 78% stake in mobile operator Miliccom Lao in Laos for $66 million

September 17, 2009 VimpelCom announced the acquisition of a 78% stake in the mobile operator from Laos Miliccom ^[32]. The seller of 74% of the shares was the international investment company Millicom International Cellular (registered in Luxembourg, owned by Swedish investors). Another 4% of the shares were bought from the Dutch offshore Cameron Holdings (local partner of Millicom). The total amount of the transaction amounted to $66 million, the remaining 22% of the shares belong to the government of the People's Democratic Republic of Laos.

Millicom Lao operates in the GSM 900/1800 standard under the Tigo brand and serves 275 thousand subscribers. According to the Rustelecom agency, the company is the third largest operator in the country with a 15% stake.

In the summer of 2009, Millicom Corporation decided to dispose of its assets in Southeast Asia. Earlier, the Cambodian operator MobiTel was sold (66% of the operator's shares were bought for $346 million by the local partner Millicom - Royal Group), the sale of the operator Celtel Lanka from Sri Lanka is next in line. For VimpelCom, Laos has already become the third country of presence in Southeast Asia: this year the Russian company launched its networks in Vietnam and Cambodia. Thus, now VimpelCom has completely covered the territory of the former colony of France - Indochina.

The EBITDA of the acquired company is $13.6 million, the entire company was valued at $102 million when buying - that is, 7.5 EBITDA indicators.

"In the post-crisis conditions, the cost of the transaction looks quite expensive," said Yuri Bryukvin, general director of Rustelecom. "In addition, the fact that in Laos the share of Millicom's subsidiary is less than in other countries indicates the complexity of this market."

Finally, Bryukvin notes, VimpelCom's debt is now 250 billion rubles, and it is better for the company to direct funds not to expensive acquisitions, but to reduce debt.

The start of sales of services under the Beeline brand in Cambodia

On May 4, 2009, sales of Beeline officially started (90% of SOTELCO LTD.) in Cambodia. Beeline subscribers in Cambodia are about 50 thousand residents of this ^[33]. The first Beeline product in Cambodia was the Boom tariff plan. This is a unique offer for the local market, the key advantage of the tariff is the low cost of calls to mobile numbers and other countries. Together with the tariff plan, Cambodians got the opportunity to use additional services "Live Zero," SMS, MMS, GPRS-Internet and basic services - conference call, number identifier, forwarding. BeeLine Official Cambodia Website: www.beeline.com.kh.

2008

The start of sales of phones under the Beeline brand

In December 2008, branded 3G economy phones were launched (commissioned by Huawei). Sales started in the Far Eastern region and will develop as 3G networks develop. ^[34]

Launch of 3G network in Uzbekistan

On December 2, 2008, the 3G network was commercially launched in Uzbekistan.

Transfer of corporate business under a single Beeline Business brand

On September 2, 2008, VimpelCom began operating in the corporate user market in Russia under the single Beeline Business brand, which combined all products and services of Golden Telecom and Corbina Telecom. ^[35]

On September 1, 2008, Beeline launched commercial operation of the third generation (3G) network in St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Samara and Chelyabinsk.

The licenses of the VimpelCom group of companies cover territories with a total population of about 340 million people ^[36] According to J'son & Partners, VimpelCom is the world leader in the number of roaming partners and in the number of roaming countries ^[37].

56.5 million subscribers

As of August 31, 2008: ^[38]

• 56.575 million subscribers:
  • Russia - 44.259 million
  • * Moscow - 8.667 million
  • Kazakhstan - 5.438 million
  • Ukraine - 2.365 million
  • Uzbekistan - 3.015 million
  • Tajikistan - 0.496 million
  • Armenia - 0.814 million
  • Georgia - 0.185 million

Start providing communication services in Cambodia

On May 18, 2009, VimpelCom officially announced the start of mobile services in Cambodia under the Beeline brand through the acquired company Sotelco LTD. ^[39]

2007

Buying 100% stake in operator Golden Telecom

On December 21, 2007, VimpelCom officially announced the purchase of a 100% stake in Golden Telecom for $4.3 billion . ^[40]

Termination of D-AMPS services

On the night of November 16-17, 2007, VimpelCom ceased to provide D-AMPS services due to the end of the license. All subscribers are switched to the standard ^[41]

Launch of GSM-1800 services in the Jewish Autonomous Region, Koryak Autonomous District and Magadan Region

Since July 2007 - GSM-1800 in the Jewish Autonomous Region, Koryak Autonomous District and Magadan Region^[42].

Subscriber base in Kazakhstan 4 million people

As of February 7, 2007, the KaR-Tel subscriber base reached 4 million people. Until July 2007, KaR-Tel LLP also provided services under the K-Mobile and Excess trademarks.

Launch of the 3,5G network in Tajikistan, 100 thousand subscribers in the country

In March 2007, VimpelCom launched the 3,5G Network (HSDPA) into commercial operation in Tajikistan. VimpelCom ^[43]

As of the end of January 2007, the number of Beeline subscribers in Tajikistan reached 100 thousand.^[44]

901 thousand subscribers in Uzbekistan

Beeline subscriber base in Uzbekistan amounted to 901 thousand subscribers by the beginning of February 2007.^[45]

2006

Failure to obtain a license in Moldova

In the fall of 2006, the National Agency for Regulation in Telecommunications and Informatics (NAREI) of Moldova announced a competition for the third license in the country in the GSM standard. VimpelCom, together with Eventis Mobile and Uniton-Prim, also took part in the competition. The competition was held in two stages. VimpelCom and Eventis Mobile entered the second stage of the competition. On December 26, 2006, the winner of the competition was announced. It was the Moldovan-Cypriot company Eventis Mobile. VimpelCom lost the contest. In explanations about the refusal of the operator's offer, it was said that it "poorly takes into account the specifics of the local market."

Purchase of the mobile operator Armentel from the Greeks

On November 16, 2006, the acquisition of a 90% stake in the mobile and fixed-line operator ArmenTel CJSC from Hellenic Telecommunications Organization SA was completed () ArmenTel for €341.9 million. In addition, "" VimpelCom assumed ArmenTel debt obligations in the amount of €40 million. Subsequently, the remaining 10% of ArmenTel shares were also purchased from the government. Armenia ArmenTel owns licenses for the provision of communication services in standards and. GSM-900 CDMA The company's subscriber base includes 600 thousand stationary subscribers and 400 thousand standard subscribers cellular communications. In GSM addition, ArmenTel it is a monopolist in the Internet access market. Armenia^[46]

In 2008, the name of the ArmenTel cellular network was changed to Beeline, while the name of the legal entity remained the same.

Negotiations on the purchase of a mobile operator in Kyrgyzstan

At the end of October 2006, information appeared in the press that VimpelCom was negotiating the purchase of the largest cellular operator in Kyrgyzstan, Sky Mobile. The deal could range from $400 million to $500 million. At the same time, Sky Mobile itself in the summer of 2006 received all the assets of the largest cellular operator in Kyrgyzstan at that time - Bitel. The course of the transaction for VimpelCom is complicated by the fact that the right to own Bitel is disputed by other Russian companies - Reservspetsmet and MTS.^[47]

Sponsorship of the concert of pop star Madonna in Moscow

In 2006, VimpelCom sponsored Madonna's concert in Moscow, held on September 12, 2006 at the Moscow stadium in Luzhniki, as part of the Confessions Tour. VimpelCom entered into an agreement with Warner Music to use the image of a pop star in its advertising, as well as the exclusive right to sell the singer's mobile content for a period of five months.

Start of services under the Beeline brand in Uzbekistan

On September 12, 2006, Uzbek Unitel began providing services under the Beeline trademark.

Launch of cellular services in Tajikistan under the Beeline brand

On September 11, 2006, Takom began providing cellular services in Tajikistan under the Beeline brand name.

Purchase of 51% shares of mobile operator Mobitel in Georgia

On July 12, 2006, VimpelCom"" announced the acquisition for $12.6 million of a 51% stake in the company, Mobitel a mobile operator in the Georgia GMC Group. VimpelCom also acquired an option from GMC Group to buy the remaining 49% of the shares. Mobitel Then he signed a contract with the company for the Alcatel construction of a new communication network. Within the framework of this project, a new GSM network/GPRS/EDGE will be deployed throughout Georgia, ready to implement third generation (3G) services.

In December 2006, VimpelCom began technical operation of the Mobitel network in Georgia. The capacity of the launched network is designed for 300 thousand subscribers with the possibility of expansion to 1 million subscribers. On March 15, 2007, the network was put into commercial operation. At the first stage, VimpelCom services became available in Tbilisi and Rustavi, but by the end of 2007 the company planned to provide coverage in all regional centers, and by the end of 2008, according to the license, it should cover all of Georgia.^[48]

Launch of Beeline brand in Ukraine, subscriber base 2.8 million subscribers

On April 11, 2006, the official launch of the Beeline brand took place, under which VimpelCom began providing mobile services in Ukraine. As of August 2007, the subscriber base of the Beeline operator in Ukraine amounted to more than 2.8 million subscribers.

Purchase of 100% mobile operator "Buztel" in Uzbekistan

On January 18, 2006, VimpelCom"" completed the acquisition of a 100% stake in Bakri Uzbekistan Telecom LLC (Buztel), the fourth largest mobile operator GSM in the standard. Uzbekistan The deal amounted to $60 million. Previously, Buztel belonged to the company. Altimo^[49] addition, on February 9, 2006, VimpelCom announced the completion of the transaction to acquire the second largest mobile operator Uzbekistan in Unitel LLC (). Unitel The transaction amount amounted to $200 million plus debt obligations in the amount of about $7.7 million.^[50], 2006, Buztel LLC was officially announced to join Beeline in Unitel^[51]

2005

Purchase for $12 million 60% of the shares of the Tajik mobile operator "Tuck"

On December 29, 2005, VimpelCom"" announced the acquisition for $12 million of a 60% stake in Tacom LLC, It a cellular operator in Tajikistan.^[52] It"" owns licenses for the provision of cellular services in the territory Tajikistan in the standards of GSM-900/1800, UMTS, CDMA-450 and AMPS, as well as services in the field. IP-telephony

Purchase of 100% of "Ukrainian radio systems" for $231 million

On November 11, 2005, VimpelCom signed an agreement on the purchase of 100% of CJSC Ukrainian radio systems"." The transaction amount was $231 million. Norwegian shareholder VimpelCom"," company, Telenor did not approve the deal. Telenor planned to enter the market Ukraine through another mobile operator - "," Kyivstar since'u Telenor owned a controlling stake in this company. The Norwegian side filed several lawsuits about the illegality of the purchase of "," Ukrainian radio systems but all of them were not satisfied.^[53]

Rebranding

On April 4, 2005, the company ^[54] was fundamentally rebranded, recognized by ]experts as extremely successful. The development of the new brand was carried out by the British agency Wolff Olins, which designed the album covers of the English musical group The Beatles. It is believed that the change in the brand led to an increase in the income of VimpelCom. In 2006, the same agency rebranded the telecommunications companies AFK Sistema, including the main competitor of VimpelCom, the mobile operator MTS.

2004

Purchase of the second largest mobile operator in Kazakhstan for $425 million from Margulan Seysembayev

In August 2004, VimpelCom acquired the second largest mobile operator in Kazakhstan - KaR-Tel LLP. The transaction amount amounted to $350 million, in addition, VimpelCom assumed KaR-Tel debt obligations in the amount of about $75 million.^[55] on April 26, 2005, the Beeline brand was officially launched in Kazakhstan.

As it became known in April 2011, the Turkish deposit insurance fund managed to sue Kazakhstan for $125 million in compensation for the confiscation of the mobile operator Kar-Tel"," subsequently resold by Vimpelcom. During the proceedings, the Turkish fund managed to prove that their share of shares was taken by the family of the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev. For more information, see. Kar-Tel""

At the time of the sale, the debt of Motorola was fully repaid, all cities of Kazakhstan were covered with cellular communications, the number of subscribers exceeded 600 thousand people.

How VimpelCom bought Kar-Tel, see the video interview with the company's seller Margulan Seisembaev.

Leading EDGE Technology Launch

In August 2004, Bi Line GSM was the first Russian cellular GSM operator to test and then launch (December) EDGE technology in the Vologda Region.

2003: Alexander Izosimov appointed CEO, Joe Lunder - Chairman of the SD

In October 2003, he VimpelCom became the General Director of OJSC "." Alexander Izosimov Joe Lunder is named chairman of the board.

2002: Leadership in the launch of MMS technology in Russia

In May 2002, MMS technology was launched in the Bi Line GSM network for the first time in Russia.

2001

Russia's first GPRS network

In June 2001, VimpelCom was the first among Russian companies to launch a full-scale GPRS network into pilot commercial operation.

Alfa-Eco is among the shareholders, Joe Lunder replaces Dmitry Zimin at the head of the company

In May 2001, Alfa-Eco Telecom Limited was among the shareholders of VimpelCom JSC. Dmitry Zimin leaves the post of general director and becomes honorary president of VimpelCom OJSC. Joe Lunder comes to the post of CEO.

In March 2001, the Bi Line network began operating at the Tagansky junction of the Moscow Metro (Taganskaya-Koltsevaya, Taganskaya-Radial and Marxist stations).

1999:352 thousand subscribers in Moscow and 47% share

At the end of 1999, VimpelCom became the leader of the Moscow cellular market, serving 352 thousand subscribers and having a market share of 47%.

October 18, 1999 - a new stage in the development of the mass market: the launch of the "box." For the first time in the history of cellular communications in Russia, a set of a DAMPS phone and a $10 payment card could be purchased for $49.

On July 5, 1999, for the first time in Russia, a dual-band GSM-900/1800 network was put into commercial operation.

1998: Telenor acquires 25% + 1 share of VimpelCom

In October 1998, the development of the mass market began: the Bi + package of services was produced, designed for the widest range of consumers. For the first time in Moscow, an advance payment system was offered using payment cards.

On December 1, 1998, VimpelCom and Telenor signed a strategic partnership agreement, under which Telenor acquires 25% + 1 share of the total number of ordinary shares.

1997: Launch of Russia's first network of GSM-1800

In June 1997, under the Bi Line brand, the first GSM-1800 network in Russia was launched.

1996

The first company of the new Russia with a listing on the NYSE

November 15, 1996 - VimpelCom is officially listed on the New York Stock Exchange. VimpelCom became the first Russian company to be listed in the NYSE after a 90-year hiatus. Shares of VimpelCom in the form of American Depositary Receipts (ADR) of the 3rd, highest, level are placed on the stock exchange under the symbol VIP.

AFK Sistema leaves the number of shareholders, Dmitry Zimin receives a controlling stake

In the spring of 1996, AFK Sistema left the list of shareholders of VimpelCom. As a result of the consolidation of VimpelCom and KB Impulse, Dmitry Zimin becomes the largest shareholder of VimpelCom, owning a controlling stake in the company.

1994: Launch of the system for 10 thousand subscribers

On June 1-2, 1994, an act of acceptance of the system for the operation of a new network for 10,000 subscribers was signed. The official start of commercial activity under the Bi Line trademark.

In September 1994, the transformation of the Bee Line network into a digital network of the DAMPS standard began, which was completed by March 1995.

In August 1995, for the first time in the Russian market, round-the-clock reference and information service of subscribers was introduced.

1993

AFK Sistema acquires a controlling stake in VimpelCom

In October 1993, at a reception in the premises of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Bi Line network was officially announced. During the same period, Sistema acquired a controlling stake in VimpelCom. Georgy Leonardovich Vasiliev becomes the Chairman of the Board of Directors.

BiLine Branding and First Advertisement

In the summer of 1993, it was decided to create the Bi Line trademark. On August 6, 1993, the first advertisement using this trademark appeared on the streets of Moscow.

Obtaining the first license to work in Moscow under the AMPS license

On January 11, 1993, VimpelCom received a license to create and operate an AMPS cellular network in Moscow. By the fall of 1993, the number of base stations in the network had increased to five, and the number of subscribers to 400.

1992: First call on experimental network and company registration

In June 1992, a switch and a base station were installed on the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Moscow, and the first experimental AMPS network in Russia with a capacity of 200 subscribers began to work. July 12, 1992 the first call is made on the network.

On July 16, 1992, at the first meeting of shareholders of VimpelCom JSC, the founder of the company Zimin Dmitry Borisovich was approved for the post of general designer.

VimpelCom JSC was officially registered on September 15, 1992.

1991: Dmitry Zimin forms a group of experts in the RTI named after A.L. Minets

The history of the company began in 1991 with the organization of a group of technical experts led by Dmitry Zimin inside the A. L. Mints RTI. The partner at the first stage of creating a cellular network was American businessman Augie K. Fabela II, owner of the family company Plexsys.

Notes