A few weeks after Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev lambasted the quality of mobile communications in Moscow, VTB Capital, the investment arm of the Russian financial group VTB, has published a report on the issue. According to the research, Megafon comes in the lead for the quality of 3G services in the capital, with an average …
Moscow 3G networks not good enough for Medvedev, but better than London’s Read More
According to Russian law, the LTE equipment developed and manufactured jointly by Nokia Siemens Network and Micran in Tomsk, Siberia, is not considered “Russian-made.” This legal definition has prevented Vainakh Telecom, a telecom operator in the Republic of Chechnya, in Russia’s Northern Caucasus area, from launching its new 4G network because the network has been built using …
No legal green light for Russian use of Russian-made Nokia Siemens telecom equipment Read More
Russian telecom operator TTK has announced the completion of an across-the-board buyout of 18 regional subsidiaries previously owned by Russian Railways, the national rail operator and TTK’s sole shareholder. To accomplish the task, TTK in December sold 1.069 billion rubles (about $36 million) worth of new shares to Russian Railways, which paid with its stakes …
TTK consolidates assets, becomes major Russian telecom operator Read More
Russia outpaced the entire European Union in new fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) subscribers in the second half of 2012, laying the foundation for a “head start” on deploying cutting-edge fiber-enabled technologies, an industry organization announced last week. In its latest study, published on February 20, the FTTH Council of Europe found that, between July and December of last …
Russia emerges as “clear fiber leader” in Europe’s FTTH deployment Read More
VimpelCom, an international telecom provider operating in Russia under the Beeline brand, announced last week that its customers will be able to use their mobile accounts to buy digital content from the Windows Phone Store. The cost of any purchased application, game, or music track will be deducted from a customer’s prepaid credit or added …
VimpelCom partners with Microsoft, Google and Facebook Read More
Moscow – Tele2, a European mobile operator, has announced a launch of SMS-dating service. The new service lets Tele2 Russia clients find company and get in touch with new friends by sending short messages (SMS). In order to subscribe, Tele2 clients will only have to send a message to short code 684. The message has …
MTS, a leading Russian mobile operator and retailer, is rumored to be eyeing diversification opportunities in the satellite TV business. Unnamed sources with purported knowledge of the firm’s plans leaked to the Russian news agency RIA Novosti that MTS has ostensibly acquired five satellite-mounted transponders and is also issuing tenders seeking 3G-supporting subscriber equipment. China’s …
UK-based international mobile operator Truphone announced this past Friday it has secured £75 million in a round of funding from investors including Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich. Abramovich’s investment company, Minden, has acquired a 23.3% stake for £70 million ($118 million), valuing the company at £300 million ($473 million).
4G, Internet access, and online services were among the topics discussed by Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during her meetings yesterday with top Russian officials. “Russia is ready to share its knowledge, experience, and technologies with Bangladesh,” said Nikolai Nikiforov, Russia’s Minister of Telecom and Mass Communications. “In particular, we have gained a huge and …
Russia to provide advanced telecom and Internet solutions to Bangladesh Read More
GNC-ALFA, a leading Armenian telco owned by the Russian national telecom operator Rostelecom, will enlarge its service offer and operate under its mother company’s brand. Earlier this month the Armenian operator launched Rostelecom-branded landline telephony and broadband Internet sales, and is gearing up for retailing interactive TV services to private customers at a later date.
Megafon, a major Russian mobile operator controlled by Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov, has acquired a 50% stake in Euroset, Russia’s first mobile phone retailer, from Alexander Mamut, a prominent Russian businessman. Vimpelcom, another leading mobile operator, has increased its stake in Euroset from 49.9% to 50%. The deal has valued the company at $2.3 billion, …
Megafon acquires 50% stake in mobile retailer Euroset, eyes mobile operator Tele2 Read More
This week, Megafon raised $1.7 billion by trading approximately 15% of its shares on the London and Moscow stock exchanges simultaneously. Although the order book for the IPO was oversubscribed, the Russian telecom operator priced each share at $20, at the bottom of the $20-$25 range, placing the company’s total valuation at $11.1 billion. Putting …
