This contract has been concluded thanks to Alcatel's full portfolio of mobile solutions as well as a long established relationship with VimpelCom. Under the terms of the contract, Alcatel will deliver and put into operation its Evolium? end-to-end solution including mobile switching centers (NSS), Base Station Sub-systems (BSS) and GPRS subsystems, for the cities of Izhevsk and Udmurdskaya republic, Syktivkar and Komi republic, Kirov and Kirovskaya oblast. In the past, Alcatel had already supplied VimpelCom with mobile switching equipment, GPRS equipment and base stations .

Thanks to this project to be completed in August 2004 VimpelCom will be able to offer high quality communication to fast growing subscribers' base in this region. Furthermore, the embedded multi-standard capability of the Alcatel Evolium? solution will allow for the operator's potential evolution towards EDGE and 3G, thus providing its subscribers with data transmission speeds significantly higher than that of the currently existing GSM/GPRS networks.

"We have for a long time partnered with Alcatel building robust networks", declared Sergei Avdeev, Vice President and Chief Technical Officer of VimpelCom. "Deployment of these networks enables VimpelCom to offer a reliable communication and services to our customers in the fast developing Ural region which is of a strategic importance for us".

Marc Rouanne, Chief Operating Officer of Alcatel's mobile communications activities added, "The co-operation between VimpelCom and Alcatel brings together expertise and competence from both companies. Alcatel's solutions will also serve as a platform for seamless evolution to the next generation mobile networks.

Alcatel's presence in the Russian Federation is steadily evolving with its mobile equipment being currently installed in more than 30 cities. Today, Alcatel is the leading supplier for Russian telecom infrastructure.

(*) Ural licensed territory according to the Ministry of Informatisation and Telecommunications of the RF

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