Beeline (brand)
 | It has been suggested that this article be merged with Beeline Ukraine and Talk:THIS PAGE#Merger proposal. (Discuss) Proposed since September 2007. |
 | This article may need to be rewritten to comply with Wikipedia's quality standards. |
| File:BeeLine logo.gif | |
| Company type | Public (NYSE: VIP) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Mobile telecommunications |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Headquarters |  Moscow, Russia |
Key people | Alexander Izosimov, CEO |
| Products | Mobile networks |
| Revenue |  $3,211 million USD (2006) |
| $978 million USD (2006) | |
| $615 million USD (2006) | |
| Website | www.vimpelcom.com |
Beeline (Russian: Билайн) is the trademark of the second largest cell-phone operator in Russian Federation, VimpelCom. Its headquarters are located in Moscow.[citation needed]
As of January 2005 Bee Line has more than 25 million subscribers in 74 of 89 Russian regions, and in Kazakhstan, and less than 1% market share short of becoming the leader of the Russian cellular market in terms of subscriber base. Its revenue, profits and revenue per subscriber (ARPU) figures are slightly lower that competitor's, Mobile TeleSystems's, while being gradually improving in latest years.[citation needed]
Its current (As of January, 2005) license portfolio covers territory where 94% of Russian population reside, and 100% territory of Kazakhstan.[citation needed]
Vimpelcom was founded in 1992 and initially operated AMPS/D-AMPS network in Moscow area. In 1996 Vimpelcom became the first Russian company listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: VIP).[citation needed]
In 1997 the company began GSM network roll-out. In 2001 it started to start GSM networks throughout Russia's regions, having gradually increased its regional presence to the majority of Russia's territory.[citation needed]
In 2004, Vimpelcom, in its first move outside Russia's territory, acquired Kazakhstani cellular operator KaR-Tel (brand names K-Mobile and Excess).[citation needed]
In November 2005 Vimpelcom stepped further with foreign acquisitions by acquiring 100% of Ukrainian RadioSystems, a marginal Ukrainian GSM operator operating under Wellcom and Mobi brands. The deal has been surrounded by a controversy involving two major shareholders of Vimpelcom: the Russian Alfa Group and Telenor, the incumbent telco in Norway.[citation needed]
In 2004, Vimpelcom CEO Alexander Izosimov, formerly a top Mars, Incorporated executive, was named the best Russian manager by the Managers Association of Russia.[citation needed]
Vimpelcom's main competitors are Mobile TeleSystems and MegaFon.[citation needed]
One of the internationally known shareholders of Vimpelcom is Telenor, Norwegian telecom conglomerate.[citation needed]