FORM 6-K

 

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

Report of Foreign Issuer
October 16, 2008

 

Pursuant to Rule 13a-16 or 15d-16 of
the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

 

Commission file number:  333-12032

 

Mobile TeleSystems OJSC

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

Russian Federation

(Jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)

 

4, Marksistskaya Street
Moscow 109147
Russian Federation

(Address of principal executive offices)

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant files or will file annual reports under cover Form 20-F or Form 40-F.

 

Form 20-F   x   Form 40-F   o

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the information contained in this Form is also thereby furnishing the information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

 

Yes   o   No   x

 

 

 


 

 

 

Press release

 

MTS announces subscriber growth numbers for September 2008

 

October 16, 2008

 

Moscow, Russian Federation – Mobile TeleSystems OJSC (“MTS” – NYSE: MBT), the largest mobile phone operator in Russia and the CIS, announces that that its consolidated subscriber base reached 87.57 million users on September 30, 2008.

 

During September MTS’ consolidated subscriber base increased by 0.31 million subscribers with 0.40 million added in Russia.

 

In September 2008, MTS’ subscriber base in Ukraine decreased as the result of a one-time churn in the wake of promo campaigns in the first quarter of 2008. At the same time, the number of gross additions in Ukraine was equal to the monthly average level since the beginning of 2008.

 

 

 

Sep 30,

 

Aug 31,

 

Growth

 

Sep 30,

 

Growth

 

Subscribers (mln)

 

2008

 

2008

 

Subs

 

%

 

2007

 

Subs

 

%

 

Total consolidated subscribers, eop

 

87.57

 

87.26

 

0.31

 

0.4

%

77.97

 

9.59

 

12.3

%

Russia

 

61.88

 

61.48

 

0.40

 

0.7

%

54.42

 

7.46

 

13.7

%

Moscow and the Moscow region

 

14.31

 

14.17

 

0.14

 

1.0

%

12.65

 

1.66

 

13.1

%

St. Petersburg and the Leningrad region

 

3.10

 

3.07

 

0.03

 

0.9

%

2.71

 

0.39

 

14.3

%

Rest of Russia

 

44.47

 

44.23

 

0.24

 

0.6

%

39.07

 

5.40

 

13.8

%

Ukraine

 

18.09

 

18.60

 

-0.51

 

-2.8

%

19.91

 

-1.82

 

-9.2

%

Uzbekistan

 

5.06

 

4.83

 

0.23

 

4.8

%

2.29

 

2.77

 

120.9

%

Turkmenistan

 

0.76

 

0.71

 

0.05

 

7.8

%

0.29

 

0.47

 

162.5

%

Armenia

 

1.78

 

1.66

 

0.12

 

7.5

%

1.07

 

0.71

 

66.6

%

MTS Belarus(1)

 

4.16

 

4.11

 

0.05

 

1.1

%

3.66

 

0.50

 

13.7

%

 

* * *

 

For further information, please contact:

Mobile TeleSystems, Moscow

Investor Relations

Tel: +7 495 223 2025

E-mail: ir@mts.ru

 

* * *

 

Mobile TeleSystems OJSC (“MTS”) is the largest mobile phone operator in Russia and the CIS. Together with its subsidiaries, the Company services over 87.57 million subscribers. The regions of Russia, as well as Armenia, Belarus, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan, in which MTS and its associates and subsidiaries are licensed to provide GSM services, have a total population of more than 230 million. Since June 2000, MTS’ Level 3 ADRs have been listed on the New York Stock Exchange (ticker symbol MBT). Additional information about MTS can be found on MTS’ website at www.mtsgsm.com.

 

* * *

 

Some of the information in this press release may contain projections or other forward-looking statements regarding future events or the future financial performance of MTS, as defined in the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify forward looking statements by terms such as “expect,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “will,” “could,” “may” or “might,” and the negative of such terms or other similar expressions.  We wish to caution you that these statements are only predictions and that actual events or results may differ materially. We do not intend to update these statements to reflect events and circumstances occurring after the date hereof or

 

(1) MTS owns a 49% stake in Mobile TeleSystems LLC, a mobile operator in Belarus, which is not consolidated.

 

1


 

to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. We refer you to the documents MTS files from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, specifically the Company’s most recent Form 20-F. These documents contain and identify important factors, including those contained in the section captioned “Risk Factors” that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those contained in our projections or forward-looking statements, including, among others, potential fluctuations in quarterly results, our competitive environment, dependence on new service development and tariff structures, rapid technological and market change, acquisition strategy, risks associated with telecommunications infrastructure, risks associated with operating in Russia and the CIS, volatility of stock price, financial risk management and future growth subject to risks.

 

* * *

 

2


 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

 

 

MOBILE TELESYSTEMS OJSC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

By:

/s/ Mikhail Shamolin

 

 

Name:

Mikhail Shamolin

 

 

Title:

CEO

 

 

 

 

Date:   October 16, 2008