KIEV, June 20 ??“ Digital Cell Communications and Astelit, two Ukrainian cell phone companies jointly owned by Turkcell and Rinat Akhmetov, Ukraine??™s wealthiest businessman, will complete merger by August, the companies said.

The move, at a shareholder meeting Aug. 1, would streamline the business and help the to-be-created company compete with other major cell phone companies in Ukraine, such as Kyivstar, UMC and Beeline.