OREANDA-NEWS. March 3, 2011. Mobile TeleSystems OJSC (“MTS” – NYSE: MBT), the leading telecommunications provider in Russia and the CIS, in partnership with Vodafone, the world's leading international mobile communications group, and Opera Software, a developer of mobile browsers, today announced the launch of a new customized version of Opera Mini for MTS subscribers.

Using MTS Internet with Opera Mini, MTS customers will be able to add up to 30 of their preferred pages to a Speed Dial screen and quickly load them with a quick tap function. This unique capability surpasses the standard version of the Opera Mini that allows customizing up to nine websites. In coming months, the new browser will also enable the use of a wide range of widgets for YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Omlet directly on the phone.

MTS Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Mikhail Gerchuk, said, "We are pleased that our partnership with Vodafone brings us the opportunity to offer unique services to our subscribers. The Opera Mini browser is very popular in Russia with more than four million MTS customers a month using it to surf the Internet. The launch of the new browser moves our partnership with Opera to the next level. With the customized Opera Mini’s added capability, we can turn a budget handset model with limited functions into a very capable Internet browsing device. We are confident that our subscribers will get a richer and more convenient mobile Internet experience with the MTS Internet with Opera Mini.”

The enhanced version of the Opera Mini browser was specifically developed and designed by Opera for Vodafone. The two companies launched a global partnership in 2009, involving the development and distribution of customized Opera Mini browsers for Vodafone handset users across Europe, Asia and Africa. MTS is introducing this special service to its customers as part of its own partnership agreement with Vodafone.

Lars Boilesen, CEO, Opera Software, commented: "Partnering with market leaders such as Vodafone and MTS brings new ideas to our product. MTS Internet with Opera Mini is a powerful solution for fast and convenient access to popular websites that will enable MTS to increase value-added services revenue stream.”

Added Cenk Serdar, Vodafone’s Data & Communications Services Director, "We are excited to bring Vodafone Internet by Opera Mini across MTS Russia. Our version delivers relevant new features such as widgets and the ability for MTS subscribers to purchase mobile content with ease. We're proud to work with MTS Russia and look forward to ensuring a successful campaign that delights their customers."

More than 70% of Russians use Opera Mini to access the Internet from mobile phones (based on StatCounter stats provider data). Opera uses compression technology that reduces traffic by up to 90% of the initial volume, enabling mobile operators to optimize investments in infrastructure and use network capacity more efficiently. The technology also allows for the download of web pages up to six times faster than a regular browser on a mobile phone, thereby significantly reducing costs for mobile Internet users.