MTS Wins Prestigious GSMA Global Mobile Award

MOSCOW, February 19, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Mobile TeleSystems OJSC ("MTS" -NYSE: MBT), the largest mobile phone operator in Russia and the CIS, announces that it has won the GSM Association's ("GSMA") 15th Annual Global Mobile Award at the 2010 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. MTS won the award in the "Best Billing & Customer Care Solution" category for its "Your Individual Optimal Tariff Plan" service. MTS is the first mobile operator from Russia and the CIS to be recognized with one of the most prestigious awards in the telecommunications industry.

"Your Individual Optimal Tariff Plan" is a service that allows customers to choose and compare MTS tariffs by either visiting the relevant webpage on the Company's website or using their mobiles through IVR[1] or USSD[2]. MTS launched the service to further educate customers on the various options available to them using MTS' tariff plans so as to strengthen the tie between the Company and its subscribers. Since the launch of the service in March 2009, over three million customers have already used it. According to the Company's customer surveys, 91% of subscribers who changed their tariff plans using this service were very satisfied with the new tariff.

"In line with our 3i strategy[3], we are focused on raising the innovation bar in customer service in Russia and the CIS by delivering the best offers in the market to our subscribers," commented Mikhail Gerchuk, Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer of MTS. "Recognition of MTS by the GSMA in awarding the Company with one of the most prestigious awards in the telecommunications industry clearly demonstrates that we are taking the right steps in executing our strategy."

The GSMA announced the winners of the coveted Global Mobile Awards at the 2010 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Rob Conway, CEO and Member of the Board, GSMA, noted: "A remarkable 500 entries from across the global mobile ecosystem were submitted this year, all of an extremely high caliber, and the winners should be incredibly proud of their achievements."

The awards presentation included the winners of 19 categories, covering Mobile Marketing and Advertising, Best Mobile Contribution to Social and Economic Development, the Green Mobile Awards, Mobile Personality of the Year, Mobile Innovation and Mobile Entertainment and at the evening event two highlight awards were presented, the Best Mobile Handset and the Chairman's Award for outstanding contribution to the growth and success of the mobile industry. More information about the awards can be found here: http://www.globalmobileawards.com

Mobile TeleSystems OJSC ("MTS") is the largest mobile phone operator in Russia and the CIS. Together with its subsidiaries, the Company services over 97.81 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 http://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 undertake or intend to update these statements to reflect events and circumstances occurring after the date hereof or 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, the severity and duration of current economic and financial conditions, including volatility in interest and exchange rates, commodity and equity prices and the value of financial assets; the impact of Russian, U.S. and other foreign government programs to restore liquidity and stimulate national and global economies, our ability to maintain our current credit rating and the impact on our funding costs and competitive position if we do not do so, strategic actions, including acquisitions and dispositions and our success in integrating acquired businesses, including Comstar-UTS, 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, governmental regulation of the telecommunications industries and other risks associated with operating in Russia and the CIS, volatility of stock price, financial risk management and future growth subject to risks.

Learn more about MTS. Visit the official blog of the Investor Relations Department at http://www.mtsgsm.com/blog/ ---------------------------------

[1] Interactive Voice Response

[2] Unstructured Supplementary Service Data

[3] In 2009, MTS unveiled its 3i strategy - Integration, Internet and Innovation. More information about the strategy can be found here: http://www.mtsgsm.com/about/strategy/

    For further information, please contact in Moscow:

    Joshua B. Tulgan
    Director, Investor Relations
    Mob: +7-985-220-4208

    Department of Investor Relations
    Mobile TeleSystems OJSC
    Tel: +7-495-223-2025
    E-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE MTS Mobile TeleSystems