The Russian company said on 24 September that now it owns 100% share in Unitel LLC, mobile operator in Uzbekistan rendering services under Beeline brand. VimpleCom financed the deal with its own resources, the company said.

The deal was carried out in connection with realization of the option of the seller to 33.3% share in Freevale Enterprises, Inc. (British Virgin Islands), which possesses 21% share in Unitel, the release said.

Unitel was founded in 1996. The company started commercial activity on 25 September 1997. Currently, it is one of the leaders among GSM-operators in Uzbekistan. At the end of June 2009, the company had over 3.605 million subscribers.

On 9 February 2006, Unitel became part of VimpelCom Group, one of the largest mobile communication operators in Russia and CIS. The purchase price for Unitel was US$200 million plus assumption of approximately US$7.7 million in debt. On 12 September 2006, Unitel started to render services under Beeline brand. On 2 December 2008, Unitel announced about commercial 3G network.

The VimpelCom Group consists of telecommunications operators providing voice and data services through a range of wireless, fixed and broadband technologies. The Group includes companies operating in Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Georgia, Armenia, as well as Vietnam and Cambodia, in territories with a total population of about 340 million.

The VimpelCom Group offers integrated mobile and fixed solutions, as well as international and long-distance network services, data transmission, FTTB internet access, Wi-Fi and 3G connection. VimpelCom’s customer base includes private consumers, large-, medium- and small-scale enterprises, transnational corporations, and telecom operators.