Beeline is a mobile network operator brand operating in Russia under PJSC VimpelCom, and in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan under VEON Ltd. Beeline is Russia's fourth-largest mobile network operator,[1] and main competitors being MTS, MegaFon and T2.[2]
Since 2009, PJSC VimpelCom had been a subsidiary of the Amsterdam based VimpelCom Ltd, which became VEON in 2017. On 9 October 2023, VEON sold Beeline in Russia and completed its exit from Russia, leaving the brand "Beeline" owned by PJSC VimpelCom in Russia and by VEON Ltd. in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan.[3]
The commercial service was launched under the Beeline brand, a brand developed by Fabela in late 1993 to differentiate the company as a youthful and fun company, rather than a technical company. The name comes from the English term "beeline", meaning the most direct way between two points. VimpelCom relaunched Beeline with the current characteristic black-and-yellow striped circle in 2005 with a campaign to associate the brand with the principles of brightness, friendliness, effectiveness, simplicity, and positive emotions; with a new slogan "Живи на яркой стороне" ("Live on the vibrant side"). The rebranding campaign was hugely successful and the principles associated with the brand "captured hearts and minds", in the words of the company.[4]
Current Markets
Russia
History
OJSC VimpelCom was founded in 1992 and initially operated AMPS/D-AMPS network in the Moscow area. In 1996 it became an Extel GSM, the first Russian company listed on the New York Stock Exchange (nyse: VIP).[5][6]
In November 2005, OJSC VimpelCom stepped further with foreign acquisitions by acquiring 100% of Ukrainian RadioSystems, a marginal Ukrainian GSM operator operating under the Wellcom and Mobi brands. The deal has been surrounded by a controversy involving two major shareholders of VimpelCom: the Russian Alfa Group and Telenor, the incumbent Norwegian telecommunications company.[7]
Former markets
Armenia
On 16 November 2006, PJSC VimpelCom acquired the 90% share of Armentel CJSC (renamed to VEON Armenia in 2017), held by the Hellenic Telecommunications Organization SA (OTE) for €341.9 million.
In 2020, Team CJSC, founded by Armenian businessmen Hayk and Alexander Yesayan, acquired 100% of the shares of "VEON Armenia" and started offering services under the name "Team".[27]
Australia
In November 2018, it was observed that Beeline owned a range of 1000 numbers with the +61 country code, from +61497906000 to +61497906999. Unfortunately, numbers in this range have been used for a technical support scam, posing as a Windows Help Desk in cold calls to Australian and New Zealand numbers.[28]
See also
- List of mobile network operators in Europe
External links
References
- Tele2 вошел в тройку российских мобильных операторов, обогнав Билайн retrieved 2025-01-30^
- Svyazinvest Puts Cell Assets Up for Sale Kommersant, 2007-06-25, retrieved 2008-07-03^
- Холдинг VEON продал "Билайн" и завершил выход из России^