Note 13- Intangible assets

In April 1998, the Company signed the License with the Turkish Ministry, under which it was granted a GSM license, which is amortized over 25 years with a carrying amount of $364,349 as at 31 December 2010 (31 December 2009: $404,636). The amortization period of the license will end in 2023.

On 30 April 2009, the Company signed a license agreement with IC TA which provides authorization for providing IM T 2000/UM TS services and infrastructure. The Company acquired the A type license providing the widest frequency band for a consideration of EUR 358,000 (excluding VA T). The license is effective for duration of 20 years starting from 30 April 2009. The carrying amount is $456,221 as at 31 December 2010 (31 December 2009: $493,982).

Impairment testing for long-lived assets
The carrying amounts of the Group's non-financial assets are reviewed at each reporting date to determine whether there is any indication of impairment. If any such indication exists, then the asset's recoverable amount is estimated. Long-lived assets are tested for impairment as at 31 December 2010. As the recoverable amounts of the assets or cash-generating unit are greater than the value in use, no impairment is recognized. For the purpose of impairment testing, assets that cannot be tested individually are grouped together into the smallest group of assets, cash generating units. As at 31 December 2010, impairment test for long-lived assets of Astelit and A-Tel, is made on the assumption that Astelit and A-Tel are the cash generating unit. As the recoverable amounts based on the value in use of cash generating units is higher than the carrying amount of cash-generating units of Astelit and A-Tel, no impairment is recognized. The assumptions used in value in use calculation of Astelit and A-Tel as at 31 December 2010 are:

Astelit: A 15.7% post-tax WACC rate and a 2.5% terminal growth rate were used to extrapolate cash flows beyond the 5-year forecasts based on the business plans. Independent appraisal is obtained for fair value to determine recoverable amounts for Astelit. The pre-tax rate for disclosure purposes is 18.9%

A-Tel: A 14.2% post-tax WACC rate and a 4.0% terminal growth rate were used to extrapolate cash flows beyond the 5-year forecasts based on the business plans. Independent appraisal is obtained for fair value to determine recoverable amounts for A-Tel. The pre-tax rate for disclosure purposes is 14.2%.

Cost	Balance at 1 January 2009	Additions	Disposals	Transfers	Impairment	Effects of movements in exchange rates	Balance at 31 December 2009
GSM and other telecommunication operating licenses	986,447	17,027	(19,771)	508,312	-	(26,117)	1,465,898
Computer software	1,743,264	23,530	(2,319)	185,000	-	1,585	1,951,060
Transmission lines	31,431	1,350	-	-	-	408	33,189
Central betting system operating right	5,476	28	-	-	-	23	5,527
Brand name	4,655	-	-	-	-	21	4,676
Customer base	6,370	-	-	-	-	28	6,398
Customs duty and VAT exemption right	51,101	-	-	-	-	224	51,325
Goodwill	244,642	-	-	-	(61,835)	1,549	184,356
Other	1,718	1,062	-	-	-	(482)	2,298
Construction in progress	22,506	680,510	-	(693,312)	-	(4,142)	5,562
Total	3,097,610	723,507	(22,090)	-	(61,835)	(26,903)	3,710,289
Accumulated amortization
GSM and other telecommunication operating licenses	407,800	70,847	-	-	-	(12,915)	465,732
Computer software	1,355,842	155,714	-	(1,307)	-	(38,140)	1,472,109
Transmission lines	26,040	1,734	-	-	-	(767)	27,007
Central betting system operating right	4,016	210	-	-	-	(110)	4,116
Indefeasible right of usage	-	1,543	-	-	-	-	1,543
Brand name	584	468	-	-	-	(28)	1,024
Customer base	1,996	654	-	-	-	(69)	2,581
Customs duty and VA T exemption right	15,553	10,595	-	-	-	(686)	25,462
Other	477	74	-	-	-	20	571
Total	1,812,308	241,839	-	(1,307)	-	(52,695)	2,000,145
Total intangible assets	1,897,981	(86,481)	-	(12,710)	(23,499)	(65,980)	1,709,311

Amortization expenses on intangible assets other than goodwill for the years ended 31 December 2010, 2009 and 2008 are $241,839, $206,421 and $245,985 respectively including impairment losses and recognized in direct cost of revenues. The impairment losses on goodwill for the year ended 31 December 2010, 2009 and 2008 are $23,499, $61,835 and nil respectively recognized in other expenses in the consolidated statement of income.

Computer software includes internally generated capitalized software development costs that meet the definition of an intangible asset. The amount of internally generated capitalized costs is $29,142 for the year ended 31 December 2010 (31 December 2009: $24,987).

Superonline, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Group, won the tender of BOTAS for indefeasible right to use the capacity of the fiber optic cables already installed by BOTAS for 15 years, including the right to install additional fiber optic cables and the right to use the capacity of these fiber optic cables for the same period. Superonline will pay EUR 20,900 to BOTAS for the right and this transaction has been considered as a finance lease as the lease term is for the major part of the remaining useful life of the fiber optic cables already installed by BOTAS and Superonline will make significant investment during the initial period of the lease agreement which is an indicator that the transaction is a finance lease. The Group recognized indefeasible right of use amounting to $22,531 which is calculated as the present value of payments to be made to BOTAS till the year 2024.

Impairment testing for cash-generating unit containing goodwill
Goodwill allocated to cash generating units and carrying values of all cash generating units are annually tested for impairment. The recoverable amounts (that is, higher of value in use and fair value less cost to sell) are normally determined on the basis of value in use, applying discounted cash flow calculation. Independent appraisals were obtained for fair values to determine recoverable amounts for Belarusian Telecom and Superonline as at 31 December 2010.

In calculating the net present value of the future cash flows, certain assumptions are required to be made in respect of highly uncertain matters including management's expectations of growth in EBITDA, calculated as results from operating activities before depreciation and amortization and other income/(expenses), timing and quantum of future capital expenditure, long term growth rates, and the selection of discount rates to reflect the risks involved.

Belarusian Telecom
As at 31 December 2010, the aggregate carrying amount of goodwill allocated to Belarusian Telecom is $120,112 and goodwill arising from the acquisition of Belarusian Telecom was impaired by $23,499 following the adverse movements in the discount and growth rates and adverse performance against previous plans. The impairment loss was allocated fully to goodwill and is included in other expense. Value in use was determined by discounting the future cash flows generated from the continuing use of the unit. The calculation of the value in use was based on the following key assumptions:

The projection period for the purposes of goodwill impairment testing is taken as 7 years between 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2017. Cash flows for further periods (perpetuity) were extrapolated using a constant growth rate of 3.0% which does not exceed the estimated average growth rate for the country.

A post-tax discount rate WACC of 14.4% was applied in determining the recoverable amount of the unit. The post-tax rate was adjusted considering the tax cash outflows and other future tax cash flows and discrepancies between the cost of the assets and their tax bases. The pre-tax rate for disclosure purposes is 17.2%.

Superonline
As at 31 December 2010, the aggregate carrying amount of goodwill allocated to Superonline is $21,145. As the recoverable values based on the value in use of the cash generating units is estimated to be higher than carrying amount, no impairment was required for goodwill arising from the acquisition of Superonline as at 31 December 2010. The calculation of the value in use was based on the following key assumptions: Values assigned to EBITDA for the periods forecasted include the expected synergies to be achieved from operating as a part of the Group. Values assigned to this key assumption reflect past experience except for efficiency improvements and synergies. Management believes that any reasonably possible change in the key assumptions on which Superonline recoverable amount is based would not cause Superonline's carrying amount to exceed its recoverable amount.

The projection period for the purposes of goodwill impairment testing is taken as 8 years between 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2018. Cash flows for further periods (perpetuity) were extrapolated using a constant growth rate of 2.5%. This growth rate does not exceed the long-term average growth rate for the market in which Superonline operates.

A post-tax discount rate WACC of 15.8% was applied in determining the recoverable amount of the unit. Discounting post-tax cash flows at a post-tax discount rate and discounting pre tax cash flows at pre-tax discount rate give same results, since the pre-tax discount rate is the post-tax discount rate adjusted to reflect the specific amount and timing of the future tax cash flows. For disclosure purposes pre-tax discount rate is 18.3%.

After the acquisition of Superonline Uluslararasi Elektronik Bilgilendirme Telekomunikasyon ve Haberlesme Hizmetleri AS ("Superonline Uluslararasi") in 2008, management merged Superonline Uluslararasi's operations with its wholly owned subsidiary, Tellcom Iletisim Hizmetleri AS ("Tellcom") in May 2009. With the merger, Superonline Uluslararasi and Tellcom seized to be separate cash generating units and merged as one cash generating unit under the brand name of Superonline. Therefore, the business plans used for the purpose of the impairment testing represents the merged entities operations. The registered name of the entity was changed from Tellcom Iletisim Hizmetleri AS to Superonline Iletisim Hizmetleri AS with General Assembly Meeting note dated 20 December 2010.