VZCZCXRO5416
RR RUEHIK
DE RUEHKV #0241/01 0480818
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 170818Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY KYIV
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9327
RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE
RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE
INFO RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 0502
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KYIV 000241 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON ECPS ETRD EINV UP
SUBJECT: UKRAINIAN MOBILE TELECOM SECTOR AT A GLANCE 
 
REF: 09 MOSCOW 02629 
 
KYIV 00000241  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED, NOT FOR INTERNET DISTRIBUTION 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  The Ukrainian mobile telecom sector is divided 
among three major service providers - Kyivstar, MTS-Ukraine, and 
Life - which control more than 90 percent of the market.  Kyivstar, 
the market leader, is jointly owned by Norwegian Telenor and Russian 
Alfa Group.  MTS-Ukraine, the second largest provider, is a 
subsidiary of MTS-Russia, Russia's largest mobile phone company. 
Life, owned by Turkish Turkcell and Ukrainian System Capital 
Management (SCM), is a relative newcomer but has quickly emerged as 
a viable third option.  Despite difficult economic conditions, the 
Ukrainian mobile telecom sector fared well in 2009, as the companies 
focused on cost-cutting and streamlining of operations.  Although 
Russian firms are heavily invested in the sector, both Kyivstar and 
MTS-Ukraine maintain that their interests lie only in the realm of 
business and this precludes any involvement in politics.  End 
Summary. 
 
KYIVSTAR 
-------- 
 
¶2. (U) Kyivstar is the largest and most profitable mobile telecom 
company in Ukraine.  With about 22.2 million users, its subscriber 
market share is around 40% while its revenue market share is almost 
50%.  Kyivstar uses a Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) 
standard and has upgraded most of their systems to use Enhanced Data 
Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) technology.  In addition to its voice 
services, Kyivstar offers messaging, voicemail, a wide range of 
multimedia operations, and mobile internet through its EDGE 
technology.  Kyivstar started its operations in 1997 and has grown 
into one of the most recognizable name brands in Ukraine.  In 
addition to its Kyivstar name, the company has developed the DJUICE 
brand targeting the youth.  DJUICE currently has about 6 million 
subscribers. 
 
KYIVSTAR OWNERSHIP ISSUES 
------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Norway's Telenor owns 56.5% of Kyivstar while Altimo, the 
telecommunications arm of Russia's Alfa Group, controls the 
remaining 43.5%.  The ownership structure, however, is likely to 
change as the two companies have agreed to resolve a long-running 
conflict over their Russian and Ukrainian assets (reftel). 
According to a preliminary agreement, Telenor and Altimo will merge 
their Russian and Ukrainian assets and form a new company called 
Vimpelcom Ltd, jointly owned by the two partners.  [Note:  Russia's 
Altimo is the majority shareholder in Vimpelcom, with Telenor being 
the minority shareholder. End Note.]  The new entity will also 
absorb Beeline and Golden Telecom, Vimpelcom's Ukrainian 
subsidiaries which together account for about 4% of the market.  The 
merger is awaiting a ruling by Ukrainian and Russian regulators and 
an approval of an Extraordinary General Meeting of Shareholders 
(EGMS) of Kyivstar and Vimpelcom. 
 
MTS-UKRAINE 
----------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) MTS-Ukraine or Ukrainian Mobile Communications (UMC) is the 
second-largest mobile provider in Ukraine with about 17.75 million 
GSM subscribers and 36% market share.  MTS-Ukraine is a wholly-owned 
subsidiary of Mobile Telesystems (MTS), the largest mobile operator 
in Russia and the CIS.  Through contractual agreements, it is the 
only Blackberry service provider in Ukraine.  MTS-Ukraine is 
Ukraine's most active telecom company in Corporate Social 
Responsibility (CSR) and is a member of the U.N. Global Compact 
platform. 
 
LIFE 
---- 
 
¶6. (U) Life is the third-largest Ukrainian mobile telecom company, 
providing service to about 10.7 million subscribers.  Turkcell, 
Turkey's largest mobile phone operator, owns 54.2% of the company 
and Ukrainian SCM Holdings, controlled by billionaire businessman 
Rinat Akhmetov, owns the remaining 45.8%.  Launched in January 2005, 
Life was the first provider to introduce EDGE technology.  Today, it 
has the largest EDGE coverage in the country.  On February 16, Life 
signed a four-year multimillion dollar contract with U.S.-based 
company Telenity which will further enhance Life's ability to 
compete and expand in Ukraine.  While Life holds only 18% of the 
market share, it has quickly established itself as a viable 
alternative to the two leading operators and, according to the 
research group Wireless Intelligence, became the fastest growing 
operator in the world in terms of subscriptions. 
 
EFFECTS OF THE GLOBAL ECONOMIC CRISIS 
------------------------------------- 
 
KYIV 00000241  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
 
¶7.  (SBU) While the economic crisis has not spared the mobile 
telecom industry, Ukraine's three leading companies have weathered 
the storm in good shape.  All three companies have coverage of 
nearly 100% of Ukraine's territory, and roaming agreements with 
international providers allow users world-wide coverage.  Kyivstar 
and MTS-Ukraine representatives acknowledged that revenue suffered 
slightly, as corporate clients like banks dropped expensive packages 
and individual users cut down on their usage of minutes.  At the 
same time, the number of actual users stayed similar to previous 
levels.  [Note: Ukraine's cell phone usage penetration was well in 
excess of 100% prior to the crisis since users had multiple SIM 
cards from different providers.  Our contacts indicated that the 
decreased number of subscribers was a result of users dropping their 
secondary accounts. End Note.]  Both Kyivstar and MTS-Ukraine 
credited timely cost cutting and streamlining measures as well as 
effective marketing campaigns for their ability to successfully 
withstand the economic downturn. 
 
SUBSCRIBER BASE 
--------------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Despite a high penetration rate, most subscription sales 
in Ukraine come from pre-paid accounts instead of long-term 
contracts.  [Note: Subscriber numbers are based on usage within a 
given period of time; most companies regard a user who used his 
account at least once in the past six months a subscriber. End 
Note.]  Long-term contracts make up less than 10% of the overall 
subscriber numbers and are almost exclusively restricted to larger 
corporate customers.  The unwillingness of users to sign long-term 
commitment contracts results from various factors, Kyivstar's 
Product Management and Development Director Vitalii Vorozhbyt 
opined, including unstable incomes, "shadow income," and lack of 
credit history.  Vorozhbyt said that, despite best efforts of mobile 
telecom providers to boost long-term subscriptions, the number has 
hit a plateau and is unlikely to climb higher in the near future. 
 
 
LICENSES 
-------- 
 
¶9. (SBU) All three major providers own GSM 900 MHz and GSM 1800 MHz 
licenses.  MTS-Ukraine, in addition, owns a CDMA-450 MHz license. 
Utel, the mobile telecom subsidiary of the state-owned giant 
Ukrtelecom, is the only Ukrainian provider with a 3G license. 
According to Vasyl Latsanych, Marketing Director of MTS-Ukraine, 
Utel's 3G license is likely no more than a ploy by the Ukrainian 
government to attract a buyer for Ukrtelecom.  [Note: Rumors that 
the GOU will privatize Ukrtelecom have circulated for several years. 
End Note.]  On  September 29, 2009 the Ukrainian National Commission 
for Communications Regulation (NCCR) published tender conditions for 
the auction of additional 3G licenses.  The auction was originally 
scheduled for the end of November 2009.  However, President 
Yushchenko blocked the tender because the Cabinet of Ministers did 
not plan on compensating the Ministry of Defense (MoD), which 
currently has the rights to the frequencies, for its losses.  The 
Cabinet of Ministers later reached an agreement with the MoD that 
the Ministry would receive UAH 2.5 billion ($313 million) for the 
four 3G frequencies which were to be sold.  However, on November 27, 
2009 the NCCR suspended the tender and stated it would not go 
forward until the MoD, Ministry of Transportation and 
Communications, and Prosecutor General's Office had finalized the 
conversion of the frequencies as required by Ukrainian legislation. 
According to Kyivstar's Head of Products Development and Management 
Alexey Kireev, the military's unwillingness to part with the 
spectrum casts doubt on development and potential investment into 
mobile telecom in Ukraine. 
 
COMMENT: Should Russia Be a Concern? 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶10. (SBU) Compared with the state-owned telecommunications behemoth 
Ukrtelekom, Ukraine's major mobile services providers are modern, 
well-managed enterprises focused on the bottom line.  Despite 
occasional frustrations with the governmental bureaucracy, our 
contacts have expressed strong optimism for the future.  Profit 
margins in Ukraine remain among the highest in the world, making the 
market as attractive as ever. 
 
¶11. (SBU) Representatives of both Kyivstar and MTS-Ukraine were 
predictably supportive of their Russian parent companies and stated 
that they did not involve themselves in local politics but were 
simply interested in growing their respective businesses.  Neither 
have Ukrainian authorities expressed concern to us about the market 
dominance of Russian mobile phone providers.  Nonetheless, it is 
worth noting that Russian interests will have a virtual stranglehold 
on the market and could at least temporarily halt services to 76% of 
mobile phone users -- of course such a move would not be without 
business ramifications as users would quickly switch services.   End 
 
KYIV 00000241  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
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