Telenor this year celebrates ten years as an investor and builder of telecommunications in Ukraine. During Telenor’s ten years of presence in Ukraine, Kyivstar has developed from a modest basis of 10,000 subscribers to today’s 24 million and to being the unquestioned market leader in Ukraine. Being the majority owner of Kyivstar, Telenor is one of the biggest Western investors in Ukraine and the only Western European telecom operator.

Telenor on Thursday 15 May celebrated its ten year presence in Ukraine by holding a seminar on the economic and social impact of mobile telecommunications in Ukraine. The results of a study conducted by Deloitte on behalf of Telenor were presented by Telenor’s President and CEO, Mr. Jon Fredrik Baksaas. The study reveals that the mobile industry in Ukraine contributed UAH 37 billion to the national economy of Ukraine in 2007, representing 5.9 per cent of the total Gross National Product. A ten per cent increase in a country’s mobile penetration will lift that country’s economic growth rate by 1.2 per cent, the study shows.

"This study shows how important mobile communications is to a country’s development," said Telenor’s President and CEO Jon Fredrik Baksaas. "I am pleased that we have been able to contribute to this development through our ownership in Kyivstar. I am also proud of what our Ukrainian company has accomplished over the past ten years in this country, and underline that both Ukraine and Kyivstar remain a long-term ambition for Telenor. Kyivstar is in fact one of the largest mobile operations in the Telenor Group, which has operations in 12 different countries and now ranges as the seventh largest mobile operator in the world," said Baksaas.

Telenor is the majority owner, holding 56.5 per cent of the shares in Kyivstar. In 2007 Telenor’s subsidiary EDB also entered the Ukrainian market by acquiring the IT companies Infopulse and Miratech. Telenor also contributes substantially to the Ukrainian society in other ways than mobile operations. During last four years Telenor has cooperated with the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy when implementing the programme "Building Democracy and Public Service Capacity In Ukraine" for civil servants. Telenor also supports a range of programmes that promote energy efficient technologies, programmes for disabled and elder people. The company is also devoted to supporting universities, schools and dormitories.

Further information please contact:

Anastasiya Gogoleva, Communications Director, Telenor Ukraine

tel: +38 067 467 6666 e-mail: anastasiya.gogoleva@telenor.com

Dag Melgaard, Vice President Group Communications, Telenor ASA

tel: +47 901 92 000, e-mail: dag.melgaard@telenor.com

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