Moscow, Russia –December 2, 2008 – “COMSTAR – United TeleSystems” JSC (“Comstar” or “the Group”) (LSE: CMST), the largest integrated telecommunications provider in Moscow and 66 Russian cities, today announced that the Russian Federation’s Federal Tariff Service has introduced new tariffs for the local connection services and line rental provided by Comstar’s 55.73% owned subsidiary, Moscow City Telephone Network (“MGTS”). MGTS’ tariffs[1] will increase at an average rate of 8%, subject to registration by the Ministry of Justice. The date from which the new tariff increase will be applied has yet to be approved by the regulator.
As at September 30, 2008, MGTS had 3.6 million active residential lines and 769 thousand active corporate lines.As at September 30, 2008, 51% of MGTS residential subscribers were on the unlimited tariff plan, 28% were on the per-minute plan and the remaining 22% were on a combination of the two plans. 9% of MGTS corporate subscribers were on the unlimited tariff plan, 6% were on the per-minute plan and the remaining 85% were on a combination of the two plans as at the end of the third quarter of 2008.
Per-Minute Tariff Plan
|
Residential Subscribers
|
Independent Corporate Subscribers |
State-Funded Organizations
|
(RUB)
|
New
|
Current |
New
|
Current |
New
|
Current |
Line Rental
|
135.00 |
125.00 |
160.00 |
160.00 |
145.00 |
136.00 |
Local connection fee per minute
|
0.30 |
0.28 |
0.30 |
0.28 |
0.30 |
0.28 |
Combined Tariff Plan
|
Residential Subscribers
|
Independent Corporate Subscribers
|
State-Funded Organizations |
(RUB) |
New
|
Current |
New
|
Current |
New
|
Current |
Line Rental
|
135.00 |
125.00 |
160.00 |
160.00 |
145.00
|
136.00 |
Fee for basic limit of 450 minutes per month
|
120.00 |
104.00 |
120.00 |
104.00 |
120.00 |
104.00 |
Fee per additional minute
|
0.28 |
0.24 |
0.28 |
0.24 |
0.28 |
0.24 |
Unlimited Tariff Plan
|
Residential Subscribers
|
Independent Corporate Subscribers |
State-Funded Organizations
|
(RUB)
|
New
|
Current |
New
|
Current |
New
|
Current |
Line Rental
|
135.00 |
125.00 |
160.00 |
160.00 |
145.00
|
136.00 |
Fee for unlimited connection
|
245.00 |
220.00 |
342.00 |
342.00 |
331.00 |
302.00 |
Further information with regard to MGTS’s tariff increase is available on the MGTS corporate website at www.mgts.ru.
[1]Tariffs for residential subscribers include VAT; tariffs for corporate subscribers are indicated without VAT
|