December 5, 2008, Moscow. COMSTAR – United TeleSystems (JSC COMSTAR-UTS, LSE: CMST), the leading supplier of integrated telecommunication solutions in Russia and the CIS, received a notice from Federal Service for Supervision in the Sphere of telecom and mass communications (Rossvyazcomnadzor) to the effect that a number of licenses has been granted to the operator allowing to render data exchange communication services not inclusive of data exchange communication services aimed at voice data exchange, at the territory of 6 Russian Regions.

These licenses authorize COMSTAR-UTS to render data exchange communication services not inclusive data exchange communication services aimed at voice data exchange in Bryansk, Lipetsk, Orel, Kursk, Kostroma regions, and in Kabardino-Balkarskaya Republic. The licenses are valid from October 28, 2008 through October 28, 2013.

As of today, COMSTAR-UTS Group of companies, Including affiliate companies and branches, as well as the companies of “STRIM TV" Group, being under authority of COMSTAR-UTS marks its presence in 67 Russian cities, rendering the services of telephony, Internet broadband access, Pay-TV, and other telecommunication services.