RBC Daily reported earlier this week that Scartel, the leading Russian WiMAX operator operating under the Yota brand, is considering selling its Belorussian subsidiary, Yota Bel, just a few months after starting operations in this country of almost 10 million inhabitants.
Such a move would confirm Scartel’s intention to focus more on Russia rather than on foreign markets. This presumed new startegy was previously illustrated in December, when the Russian operator sold its stake in Yota Del Peru.
Yota also operates in Nicaragua.
According to RBC Daily’s unnamed sources, Scartel held talks earlier this year with several industry players, including Rostelecom, the national telecom operator, and MTS, a major Russian mobile operator which already co-owns a Belorussian mobile business. But neither of these players showed interest in Scartel’s assets in Bielorussia.
Tests of Scartel’s mobile networks in Belorussia started in December, with 38 base stations deployed in Minsk, the capital, and Grodno, a major city.
EWDN’s request for comments was left unanswered by Scartel’s press service.
