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Comstar Will Consolidate Comstar-Direct
COMSTAR - United TeleSystems, the Russian integrated telecommunications operator, has announced that it has completed negotiations with Sistema Mass Media and commenced the consolidation of Comstar-Direct, a broadband internet access services provider in Moscow.
Comstar currently owns 51.8% of Comstar-Direct, with the remaining 48.2% owned by Sistema Mass Media.
The transaction is being effected by means of a division of Comstar-Direct’s balance sheet according to Russian Accounting Principles and in proportion to Comstar and Sistema Mass Media’s equity ownership in the company.
Upon completion of the reorganization, the majority of Comstar-Direct’s assets related to the provision of multimedia solutions, including broadband and TV services, as well as Comstar-Direct’s subscriber base, will be transferred to Comstar.
The proposed transaction structure was approved by the Board of Directors of Comstar-Direct on June 4, 2008, and is now subject to the approval of Comstar, Comstar-Direct and Sistema Mass Media’s shareholders.
Comstar will continue to provide broadband internet access via the MGTS network, as well as IP-TV services to Comstar-Direct’s 750,000 subscribers as at the beginning of the second quarter of 2008.
Comstar will also continue to broadcast and sell its package of ‘Stream’ branded pay-TV channels to its 134,000 triple-play subscribers in Moscow through the MGTS broadband network, but the content production part of the Comstar-Direct business will be transferred to Sistema Mass Media, including responsibility for the five own-produced pay-TV channels and IP content platform.
The division of the business will therefore have no impact on Comstar’s revenues but will reduce Comstar’s cost base.
Sergey Pridantsev, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented: “The consolidation of the Comstar-Direct business is a key step and in line with our strategy to simplify our ownership, organizational and operating structures. It will enable us to focus purely on providing enhanced services to our customers, whilst also increasing profitability levels moving forward. The consolidation process is expected to be completed by the end of the third quarter of 2008.”
Comstar UTS Details
Comstar UTS is a fixed-line telecommunications company in Moscow.
Comstar provides voice, data, television and other value-added services to residential and corporate subscribers and operators, using its extensive backbone network and exclusive last mile access to 97% of Moscow households.
The Company also offers communications services in five Russian regions, Armenia and Ukraine.
Comstar has 3.6 million residential subscribers and 750,000 residential broadband internet subscribers in Moscow, as well as 40,000 residential regional and international broadband internet subscribers as of March 2008.
Comstar generated $1,562.4 million and $ 417.0 million of revenues and a 42.5% and 40.8% OIBDA margin for the twelve months ended December 31, 2007 and the three months ended March 31, 2008, respectively.
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