Pavel Durov, founder and shareholder of Russia’s leading social network, Vkontakte.ru, referred to LSE-listed Mail.ru Group as a “trash holding” on Twitter last Friday. The message was accompanied by an explicit picture of his “official answer to Mail.ru Group’s last attempt to absorb Vkontakte.”
Online portal and search engine Rambler announced last week its first investment since its merger with media company Afisha. Rambler acquired Kanobu Network, the leading Russian network gaming site, for $3.5 million, an unnamed source told the Russian business daily Vedomosti.
Rostelecom shares jumped 17% in June amid statements from senior Russian officials that the Russian national telecommunications operator might be at least partially privatized. The Russian Federal Government owns a controlling stake in Rostelecom, 53.23%, through the auspices of state owned telecom holding Svyazinvest and investment corporation Vnesheconombank. Rostelecom recently completed a large reorganization and …
VimpelCom, a mobile operator initially focused on Russia but which has grown into an important international telecom group, is considering a new acquisition in Italy, a source in the Italian government told Russian business daily Vedomosti. Through its merger last April with Italian mobile operator Wind Telecom, VimpelCom already controls 23% of the Italian market. …
Leading Russian mobile operators VimpelCom and MTS are eying to acquire Utel, the mobile unit of Ukrtelecom, a major fixed-line Ukrainian operator. Astelit, a subsidiary of the Turkish Turkcell, was also named as potential buyer.
Leading Russian mobile operator MegaFon announced on June 10 that it has acquired NetByNet, a fixed broadband Internet, digital TV and IP telephony operator. The value of this transaction is approximately $270 million with the final amount depending on financial performance of the company in 2011, MegaFon explained.
Summary: The communications & media sector was one of the fastest growing areas of the Russian economy in 2010 and Q1 2011, with IT and hardware spending quickly rebounding after a sharp decline in 2009. Communications & media is also one of the most innovative sectors in the economy, quickly developing and adopting the latest …
Mergers & acquisitions in the Russian telecommunications & media sector Read More
MTS, a leading Russian mobile operator and Rostelecom, the Russian national telecommunications operator, are among the Russian companies mulling the acquisition of GNC-Alfa, Armenia’s leading operator of fiber-optic cable infrastructure. Another candidate for the acquisition is France Telecom, Russian business daily Kommersant reported from unnamed sources. The estimated value of the company could be between …
Russian operators compete with France Telecom to acquire Armenia’s GNC-Alfa Read More
Tele2 Russia, the Russian subsidiary of the Swedish-based European telecommunications group, has offered to acquire a 97% stake in regional operator SMARTS for $390 million, including $100 million to cover debt. Based in Samara, SMARTS is a Russian mobile operator with a regional presence that would ideally compliment that of Tele2 Russia, which currently operates …
VimpelCom, a leading international telecom group and Russian mobile operator, signed agreements last week for the acqusition of a 100% stake in New Telephone Company (NTC) from Korea Telecom and Sumitomo Corporation for $420 million, reported Kommersant, a Russian business daily.
MTS, a leading Russian mobile operator, intends to purchase Bashkortostan’s telecom operator Ufanet, Russian business daily Kommersant reports. In the fall of 2010 Megafon wanted to buy Ufanet but in the last moment changed decision because of the price of $170-$180 million.
Megafon, a major Russian mobile operator, is considering purchasing St. Petersburg Internet provider Web Plus, Russian business daily Kommersant reports. The deal price has yet to be disclosed, but, according to experts, the price will be “symbolic”, since Web Plus is a loss-making firm with $4 million debt, the newspaper said. The seller is Telecominvest.
