Ukrainian RadioSystems

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Ukrainian RadioSystems (URS) is a mobile operator in Ukraine with 2.22 million GSM subscribers (February 2007). The company operates under Wellcom, Mobi (prepaid) and Beeline brands. According to company, its network currently covers 60% of the Ukrainian population.

The company was founded in 1995, and Motorola acquired 49% of the company in 1996. URS obtained a GSM-900 license in 1997, but Motorola backed off the venture the same year due to an alleged government favoritism to another mobile operator. The Korean Daewoo picked up the ownership, didn't do much to grow the business and sold it to a Ukrainian financial group in 2003. In November 2005, 100% of the company's ownership was acquired by the Russian VimpelCom for $230 million. The deal was surrounded by a controversy involving two major shareholders of VimpelCom: the Russian Alfa Group and Telenor, a telco in Norway.

Following the acquisition by Vimpelcom, all company's services have been rebranded to the common 'Beeline', similar to a VimpelCom's major mobile asset in Russia.

Ukrainian RadioSystems's network code is +38068*******.