Exhibit 4.15


 


MINISTRY OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATIZATION


 


LICENSE


 


A 023713   No. 24134


 


Mobile TeleSystems


 


Open Joint Stock Company


 


is authorized in accordance with the current

legislation of the Russian Federation.


 


Legal address:


 


109147, Moscow, ul. Marksistskaya, d. 4


 


Type of activity:


 


Provision of cellular
radiotelephone communications

services in the 1800-MHz band


 


Conditions of the said type of activity and
territory

are stated in the annex hereto, which forms an integral part of this license.


 


	
  License valid until:

  	
   

  	
  April 28, 2008

  
	
   

  	
   

  	
   

  
	
  Commencement of provision of services

  (no later than)

  	
   

  	
  October 24, 2003

  
	
   

  	
   

  	
   

  
	
  Date of registration of license in the Unified Registry of

  Communications Licenses

  	
   

  	
  October 24, 2002

  
	
   

  	
   

  	
   

  
	
  First Deputy Minister of the

  Russian Federation for

  Communications and Informatization

  	
   

  	
  B. D. Antonyuk

  



 


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Conditions of Activity

under License No. 24134


 


1. Mobile TeleSystems OJSC (the “licensee”) is authorized by this
license to provide cellular radiotelephone communications services of the
public communications network using GSM equipment in the 1800-MHz band
(CMC-1800) in the territory of the Urals region, the Republic of Komi, the
Udmurt Republic; the Kirov, Kurgan, Orenburg, Perm, Sverdlovsk, Tyumen, and
Chelyabinsk oblasts; and the Komi-Permyak, Khanty-Mansiisk, and Yamalo-Nenets
autonomous okrugs.


 


Within the scope of this license the licensee may provide cellular
radiotelephone communications services of a GSM 900/1800 dual-band (dual-range)
network, with installation of necessary equipment operating at duly assigned
nominal frequencies in the 1800- and 900-MHz ranges in the territory of the
Kirov, Perm, and Chelyabinsk oblasts.


 


Cellular communications services shall be provided using the licensee’s
communications network, which shall be a part of the common CMC-1800 cellular
network of the Russian Federation.


 


The licensee shall participate in the work of the body authorized by
the Communications Administration of the Russian Federation to coordinate work
for the creation of the common CMC-1800 network.


 


2. The total installed capacity of the licensee’s communications
network and percentage of population coverage, with allocation of a sufficient
frequency resource, by December 31 of the respective indicated year must be:


 


	
  2003

  	
   

  	
  750
  numbers

  	
   

  	
  3.5

  	
  %;

  
	
  2008

  	
   

  	
  1900
  numbers

  	
   

  	
  14.3

  	
  %.

  



 


3. The CMC network created by the licensee shall be connected to the
public communications network of the Russian Federation on the interurban level
in accordance with the General Plan for the Creation and Phased Development of
the Federal Public GSM Mobile Radiotelephone Communications Network of Russia.


 


Additional
interaction of the licensee’s communications network with the public
communications network of the Russian Federation is permitted on the local
level for the purpose of providing technical capability of carrying local
traffic and providing subscribers of the licensee’s network with the additional
service of forwarding calls from the local telephone network.


 


However,
additional interaction of the licensee’s communications network with the public
communications network of the Russian Federation on the local level is
permitted only on the condition that the interurban level of connection is
implemented.


 


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Until the aforesaid plan is released, the licensee shall be guided by
the instructions of the Communications Administration of the Russian
Federation.


 


4. It is prohibited to arrange roaming between CMC-1800 communications
networks created in the licensed territory.


 


5. Any activity of the licensee directed toward the interaction of the
network created by it with foreign cellular communications networks must be
approved by the Communications Administration of the Russian Federation or a
body authorized thereby.


 


6. The licensee must comply with existing Russian rules and
regulations, as well as ETSI standards determined by the Communications
Administration for CMC-1800 communications networks.


 


The principles of
construction and the functional capabilities of the CMC-1800 communications
network must conform to international recommendations concerning the
organization of such networks.


 


7. Use of infrastructure of CMC-900 communications networks by the
licensee shall be on a contractual and nondiscriminatory basis.


 


8. Numbering in the licensee’s network must conform to the numbering
plan of the public communications network of the Russian Federation and the
requirements of the numbering plan for land-based mobile service networks.


 


9. The licensee’s network must be designed and constructed such that
the rate of failed connections within the communications network at the hour of
peak usage does not exceed 5%.


 


10. The network may be created only after design specifications have
been developed on the basis of the General Plan for the Creation and Phased
Development of the Federal Public GSM Mobile Radiotelephone Communications
Network of Russia and in accordance with Construction Norms and Specifications
(SNIP) and Departmental Technological Design Regulations (VNTP) applicable in
the Russian Federation and have been agreed and approved in the established
manner.


 


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11. The licensee must provide services in the licensed territory to any
person who needs them, subject to technical feasibility.


 


The licensee may refuse to provide services in cases when:


 


• provision
of the service would threaten the security or defensive capability of the state
or human health and safety;


 


• provision
of the service is impossible due to any physical, topographical, or other
natural obstacles;


 


• the user without valid reason does
not agree to the terms and conditions of service or fails to pay for provided
services in a timely fashion;


 


• the user uses or intends to use
communications equipment for any unlawful purpose, obtains communications
services by unlawful means, uses provided equipment in breach of operating
rules, or uses uncertified equipment.


 


Refusal
must be justified in each specific instance.


 


12. The licensee shall ensure that the communications services of the
network created by it are provided to all users of the common CMC-1800
communications network, with the exception of users of a different licensee’s
network in the licensed territory, regardless of their place of registration or
place of acquisition of subscriber equipment.


 


13. The licensee is obligated to provide mobile subscribers at their
locations with free calls to local special services (firefighting service,
police, ambulance, gas emergencies service, etc.) in the licensed territory.


 


14. Interurban and international communications services shall be
provided to subscribers of the licensee’s network via the public communications
network only in accordance with the General Plan for the Creation and Phased
Development of the Federal Public GSM Mobile Radiotelephone Communications
Network of Russia.


 


15. The licensee is obligated to provide users with communications
services of a quality conforming to standards, technical norms, certificates,
and the terms of the contract for the provision of communications services.


 


16. The licensee shall be liable to users in case of nonperformance or
improper performance of its obligations in the manner and to the extent
provided by the current legislation of the Russian Federation.


 


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17. The licensee is obligated to provide communications services 24
hours a day, every day, with the exception of interruptions for necessary
preventive and repair work, which shall be planned to take place at a time when
such work will be least detrimental to users.


 


18. The licensee is obligated to organize an information service and
issue a directory of subscribers included in the communications network created
by it.


 


19. Subscriber cards enabling the identification of subscribers and the
conduct of settlements for services of the common CMC-1800 cellular
communications network of the Russian Federation must be made in accordance
with the common numbering plan for such cards established by the Communications
Administration of the Russian Federation.


 


20. The licensee is entitled to use communications channels and
physical circuits of the public communications network of the Russian
Federation at the tariffs in effect for the respective category of users.


 


21. The licensee is obligated to fulfill the requirements of the
Communications Administration of the Russian Federation concerning the
procedure for the carriage of traffic and provision of services.


 


In cases provided for by the legislation of the Russian Federation,
centralized management of the licensee’s communications networks may be
exercised directly by the Communications Administration of the Russian
Federation or a body authorized thereby.


 


22. Costs associated with the development of the general plan for
organization of the common CMC-1800 cellular communications network of the
Russian Federation, the design and construction of the licensee’s network, its
connection to the public communications network of the Russian Federation, the
allocation of a frequency resource necessary for the creation of the network,
the approval of conditions ensuring electromagnetic compatibility between the
radio equipment to be used and existing radio facilities, settlements with
operators of public communications networks of the Russian Federation and
operators of other GSM networks, and the development and issuance of normative
documents shall be borne by the licensee.


 


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23. Mutual settlements for traffic with operators of public
communications networks shall be conducted by the licensee in accordance with
the procedure established for the public communications network of the Russian
Federation.


 


24. Tariffs for communications services shall be established on a
contractual basis.


 


In cases provided for by the legislation of the Russian Federation,
tariffs for specific types of communications services rendered by communications
enterprises may be regulated by the state.


 


The charge for inter-network connections shall be established on the
basis of contracts, terms, and provisions agreed upon by the respective
communications enterprises. Disputes respecting these matters shall be heard in
a court of law or arbitration court.


 


Subscribers will not be billed for calls when a connection is not made.


 


25. For certain categories of officials of governmental bodies,
diplomatic and consular representatives of foreign states, representatives of
international organizations, and certain groups of citizens, privileges and
preferences as regards order of priority, manner of use, and amount of payment
for communications services may be established for telecommunications use.


 


The list of privileges and the categories of officials and citizens
entitled to privileges and preferences shall be determined by Russian
Federation legislation and normative legal acts of federal administrative
divisions of the Russian Federation, and by international treaties and
agreements of the Russian Federation.


 


26. The licensee is obligated to provide free official
telecommunications in the manner established by the Ministry of the Russian
Federation for Communications and Informatization.


 


27. In times of natural calamities, quarantines, and other
extraordinary situations of a natural and technogenic nature, authorized state
bodies shall have the right to priority use of, as well as the right to suspend
the operation of, the licensee’s telecommunications networks and facilities.


 


28. The licensee shall give absolute priority to all communications
relating to the safety of human life at sea, on land, in the air, and in space,
and the conduct of urgent measures in the area of defense, security, and
preservation of law


 


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and order in the Russian
Federation; as well as to communications concerning major accidents,
catastrophes, epidemics, epizootics, and natural calamities.


 


29. At the request of the Ministry of the Russian Federation for
Communications and Informatization the licensee shall submit information
concerning the physical condition and prospects for development of the network,
the terms of provision of communications services, and current tariffs.


 


30. The licensee is obligated to maintain privacy of communications.


 


Information concerning messages transmitted via the licensee’s network,
as well as the messages themselves, may be issued only to the senders and
addressees or their legal representatives.


 


Listening
to telephone conversations, inspecting telecommunications messages, obtaining
information concerning them, and other limitations of privacy of communications
are permitted only on the basis of the current legislation of the Russian
Federation.


 


31. In developing, creating, and operating the communications network
the licensee is obligated in accordance with the legislation of the Russian
Federation to assist authorities carrying out operative and investigative
activity and enable them to conduct operative and investigative measures on the
communications network, and take measures to avoid disclosure of organizational
and tactical methods of conducting such measures.


 


If communications facilities are used for criminal purposes harmful to
the interests of the person, society, or the state, authorized state bodies
shall have the right in accordance with the legislation of the Russian
Federation to suspend the operation of the licensee’s communications networks
and facilities.


 


Subscribers may be connected only after requirements have been
fulfilled in accordance with the Law of the Russian Federation “On Operative
and Investigative Activity in the Russian Federation.”


 


32. The licensee is obligated to take measures to prevent unauthorized
interference in the administration of the created network and unsanctioned
monitoring of its functioning.


 


33. At the request of the Ministry of the Russian Federation for
Communications and Informatization the licensee shall allow equipment tests to
be conducted using its network, provided that its activity as an operator is
not affected thereby.


 


34. The provision of communications services under this license may be
commenced only when permission to operate communications facilities has been


 


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received from the authorities
responsible for state supervision over communications and informatization in
the Russian Federation.


 


35. Communications equipment may be used only after the obtainment of a
Svyaz Mandatory Certification System certificate of conformity.


 


36. The licensee shall not hinder authorities responsible for state
supervision over communications in the Russian Federation in their conduct of
verifications of the technical parameters of the communications network and, if
required, shall provide said authorities with access to its measuring equipment
in order that it may be used in such work.


 


37. This license shall be regulated, construed, and performed in
accordance with the current legislation of the Russian Federation.


 


38. The licensee is obligated to carry out its activity in accordance
with current normative acts and legislation of the Russian Federation.


 


39. The Ministry of the Russian Federation for Communications and
Informatization reserves the right to amend this license in connection with
changes in current legislation of the Russian Federation.


 


40. The licensee is obligated to submit to local statistics authorities
and the Ministries of the Russian Federation for Communications and
Informatization periodic and annual state statistical reports on communications
in accordance with the procedure established by the State Statistics Committee
of the Russian Federation.


 


Violation of the procedure for the submission of statistical reports
will entail administrative liability in accordance with current legislation.


 


41. This license is nontransferable.


 


42. The licensee is obligated to make contributions from income
received for services in the area of communications and informatization to the
Ministry of the Russian Federation for Communications and Informatization at
the rate established on the basis of Russian Federation Government Decree No.
380 of April 28, 2000.


 


Funds shall be remitted monthly on the basis of actual income received
for services in the area of communications and informatization rendered in the
preceding calendar month, no later than the 20th day of the following month.
The amount subject to remittance shall be determined more precisely on a
quarterly basis following the submission of financial statements to the tax
authorities.


 


For the purpose of monitoring full remittance of funds to the Ministry
of the Russian Federation for Communications and Informatization, the licensee
shall, at the written request of the management of the administration for state
supervision over communications and informatization within a federal
administrative division of the Russian Federation, submit the appropriate form
of financial statement, reflecting 


 


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information on income received
for services rendered in the area of communications and informatization.


 


43. This license must be registered after its issuance at the
appropriate authority responsible for state supervision over communications and
informatization in the Russian Federation.


 


In the event of a change in its postal address, banking information, or
telephone number, or in the event of the reorganization or liquidation of the
legal entity, the licensee must notify the Ministry of the Russian Federation for
Communications and Informatization and the administration responsible for state
supervision over communications in the Russian Federation at which the license
was registered.


 


	
  First Deputy Minister of the

  Russian Federation for

  Communications and Informatization

  	
   

  	
  B. D. Antonyuk

  
	
   

  	
   

  	
   

  
	
  

  
	
  Head of the Administration for 

  Organization of Licensing

  	
   

  	
  N. M. Popov

  



 


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