MTS (Russian: МТС "Мобильные ТелеСистемы", lit. 'Mobile TeleSystems') is the largest mobile operator in Russia and CIS with over 102.4 million subscribers as of 31 December 2009.[2] Having started in the Moscow license zone in 1994, МТS in 1997 received licenses for further areas and began expansion, later entering other countries of the CIS.