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In January, the number of subscribers of Ukrainian mobile-telephone operators fell by 0.6% or 0.32 million to 53.69 million. Ukrainian News has learned this from results of a research conducted by iKS-Consulting, a wording of which was made available to the agency. In particular, the combined number of subscribers to the services of Kyivstar and Beeline (Ukrainian Radiosystems and Golden Telecom companies) made up 24.33 million, the number of subscribers to MTS' services made up 18.21 million, and to the services of Astelit company (life:) brand) 9.02 million. The rest of subscribers belong to the biggest telecommunications company Ukrtelecom and three CDMA operators. As Ukrainian News earlier reported, in December 2010, the number of subscribers of Ukrainian mobile-telephone operators fell by 0.5% to 54.01 million.

Ukrtelecom, the largest telecommunications company in Ukraine, ended the period of October-December 2010 with losses of UAH 196.112 million. The company announced this in a statement, a text of which Ukrainian News has obtained. The company's net revenues decreased by UAH 222.42 million or 11.72% to UAH 1,675.283 million in the fourth quarter, compared with the corresponding period of 2009. Ukrtelecom ended 2010 with losses of UAH 258.757 million, having reduced net revenues by UAH 115.452 million or 1.68% to UAH 6,749.304 million compared with 2009. As Ukrainian News earlier reported, Ukrtelecom ended the period of July-September with losses of UAH 110.628 million, having decreased by UAH 1.394 million or 0.1% to UAH 1,671.558 million in the third quarter, compared with the corresponding period of 2009. The company ended 2009 at a loss of UAH 456.4 million. Its net revenues during this period increased by UAH 225.202 million or 3.39% to UAH 6,870.931 million, compared with 2008. Ukrtelecom has a 78.5% share of the fixed-line telephone market in Ukraine and provides services to 9.9 million subscribers.

Ukrtelecom, the largest Ukrainian telecommunication company, has cancelled hourly accounting of phone talks from March 1, the company said. Thus, from March 1, the subscriber's fee with hourly payment for local phone talks, paid by subscribers connected to analogue automatic telephone stations will be changed for fee without hourly payment for local talks in accordance with current ceiling tariffs for common telecommunication services. Thus, from March on, the subscribers will pay only fixed monthly fees despite length of local talks. As Ukrainian News earlier reported, Ukrtelecom ended 2009 at losses of UAH 456.426 million. The company's net revenues increased by UAH 225.202 million or 3.39% to UAH 6,870.931 million, compared with 2008. Ukrtelecom has a 78.5% share of the Ukrainian fixed-line telephony market and provides services to 9.9 million subscribers.

The Ukrtelecom telecommunications company is aiming to increase the number of subscribers to its mobile communications services by 438,900 or 69.5% to 1,070,000 in 2011. This is stated in the company's bond issue prospectus. The company also aims to the number of subscribers to its OHO broadband internet service by 249,000 or 22% to 1,383,000 . In addition, the company intends to increase the area of coverage of its mobile communications services and the capacity of its OHO broadband internet service. As Ukrainian News earlier reported, the number of subscribers to Ukrtelecom's mobile communications services increased by 33,100 or 5.5% to 631,110 in December. The number of subscribers to its OHO broadband internet service increased by 54,600 or 5.5% to 1.048 million in the period of July-September 2010, compared with the period of April-June. Ukrtelecom reported a loss of UAH 456.426 million for the year 2009, when its net revenues increased by UAH 225.202 million or 3.39% to UAH 6,870.931 million compared with 2008.

The National Communications Regulatory Commission finds it impossible to introduce a service of retaining fixed-line telephony number when user changing from one operator to another (FMNP service) in 2011, Commission Chairman Volodymyr Oliinyk has announced in an interview with Business magazine. "What concerns fixed-line telephony, nothing doing in 2011 because of 30% of Ukretelecom is serviced by analog exchanges not capable of providing these services," Commission Chairman said. Alongside with this he expressed hope for mobile carriers in 2011 to introduce the FMNP service. As to Oliinyk, this not the subscriber who has to pay for retaining the number, but the operator who gets a new client. He opines, the FMNP charges must not exceed 10% of the profits the carrier receives from a new subscriber. Oliinyk notes, the norm of absence of charges for the number retaining service for subscriber must be affixed in the rules of provision of the FMNP service. Alongside with this, in his words, the Communications Commission has already worked out the order of transfer of numbers and national roaming, as required by the amendments to the law on telecommunications, passed on July 1, 2010. Although Oliinyk stressed, the Communications Commission was not able to start technical realisation of this service because the Infrastructure Ministry had not yet aligned its normative legal acts with this law. As Ukrainian News earlier reported, according to the Communications Commission's draft order on transfer of numbers, carriers in 24 hours from the moment of receiving subscriber's application must ensure transfer of number, and fixed-line telephony operators within seven workdays. The Verkhovna Rada on July 1, 2010, voted for amendments to the law on telecommunications, thus providing users of mobile communications with the right to retain personal number when changing operators (as mobile, so as fixed-line). Ukrtelecom, Ukraine's biggest telecommunication company, renders services to more than 10.1 million users, occupying more than 78% of the fixed-line telephony market.