Under the term of this contract, Alcatel will enable the EDGE capability of the GSM/GPRS radio and mobile core network it has already supplied to MTS in Samara, using the multi-standard capability of its industry leading Evolium solution. The EDGE technology, natively embedded in Alcatel Evolium? radio access solution already installed at the MTS network, will be activated thanks to a simple software activation. Delivery of the solution is scheduled for completion by the third quarter of 2004.

The Alcatel's solution will enable MTS to provide its customers in the Povolzhie region with new broadband mobile applications and services such as MMS, high-speed access to the Internet and electronic messaging service, or fast downloading of large volume of data. The commercial launch of the EDGE network is scheduled for fourth quarter of 2004.

Vassily Sidorov, President and CEO of MTS, commented: "One of the mobile operators' priorities today is to deliver the most advanced applications and services to the end-users while ensuring costs control. Thanks to the flexibility of Alcatel's future-safe solution, we will be able to deploy a major technology in order to offer our customers the latest broadband services in a fast and economic manner".

Marc Rouanne, chief operating officer of Alcatel's mobile activities, added: "We are glad to partner with MTS on the deployment of a leading EDGE network. Our close cooperation in the past few years allowed us to get to this stage. This project demonstrates how we can help our customers to provide their subscribers with user-centric broadband services, on the fast growing Russian mobile market as well as in other growing countries where Alcatel's mobile solutions are enjoying a leadership position."

About MTS

Mobile TeleSystems OJSC (or "MTS") is the largest mobile operator in Russia, Central and Eastern Europe in terms of subscribers. Together with its subsidiaries, the company services over 24,1 million subscribers. The 87 regions of Russia as well as in Belarus, Ukraine and Uzbekistan in which MTS and its subsidiaries are licensed to provide GSM services have a total population of approximately 225,8 million. Since June 2000, MTS' shares have been listed on the New York Stock Exchange with the ticker symbol MBT. www.mtsgsm.com.

About Alcatel

Alcatel provides communications solutions to telecommunication carriers, Internet service providers and enterprises for delivery of voice, data and video applications to their customers or to their employees. Alcatel leverages its leading position in fixed and mobile broadband networks, applications and services to bring value to its customers in the framework of a broadband world. With sales of EURO 12.5 billion in 2003, Alcatel operates in more than 130 countries.

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