The WAP-portal gives children access to a virtual world with specialized games and educational programs designed for the very young that includes articles, pictures, chat rooms, blogs and many other exciting features. Parents naturally have full control over the content that is available for viewing.

«MTS consistently employs its segmented approach in developing products based on the needs of the Company’s customers. The WAP-portal is part of a comprehensive package for children that includes a special tariff plan called «Klassnyi,» which was created to ensure children and their parents are always in touch with one another. I congratulate our marketing team at MTS Russia for developing a great product,» highlighted Ms. Cynthia Gordon, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer of MTS.

«We are pleased to become the first Russian company to be nominated for such a prestigious award, an equivalent of an Oscar in the telecommunications game. The nomination clearly shows that MTS provides high quality and innovative services that fully match the highest standards in the industry,» added Ms. Gordon.

MTS is joined by ?T&T, Yahoo!, PCCW and WEBWAG in its category.

«The 2008 Global Mobile Awards have once again attracted a widely diverse range of entries from all corners of the world, demonstrating the social, business and economic impact that mobile communications is having on society. I congratulate the nominees on their achievement thus far, being shortlisted by our independent judging panel is no mean feat given the caliber of subject matter experts it comprises, and the quality and quantity of submissions received. We await the announcement of the winners at the Global Mobile Awards evening during the Mobile World Congress with keen interest,» said Mr. Rob Conway, CEO of GSMA.

The winners of Global Mobile Awards will be announced on Tuesday, February 12, 2008.

GSMA, a premier authority with over 700 GSM operators in 218 countries¹, hosts the Global Mobile Awards to celebrate the achievements of those companies in the telecommunications industry that have contributed the most to further the sector’s development. The list of nominees in 2008 includes such leading companies as Alcatel Lucent, AT&T, Comverse, LG Electronics, Microsoft, Nokia, Samsung, Sony Pictures Television International and Vodafone among others.
Additional information is available at https://www.globalmobileawards.com/index.shtml.

¹ Source: www.gsmworld.com.