“One point seemed to be very dear to the proud Minister; the company name had to be UMC, Ukrainian Mobile Communications. We agreed, understanding that this project was his baby and that he, too, was taking an enormous risk in the very uncertain and rapidly changing political environment. This was the still the USSR, where for obvious reasons, no normal citizen was allowed to have a phone. The waiting list was about 17 years for Communist Party members with a clear need. Fixed line penetration stood at about 7 or 8 percent.” Project ManagementMobile PhonesTelecommunicationsMobile PhoneUkraine Russia Book:Your phone, my life: Or, how did that phone land in your hand? Source: Your phone, my life: Or, how did that phone land in your hand?