Russia’s second largest mobile operator MegaFon has completed the integration of Skartel and Yota, unifying them into a single entity.
MegaFon, listed in Moscow and London, completed its acquisition of the assets’ parent Maxiten for US$1.18bn plus…
Russia’s second largest mobile operator MegaFon has completed the integration of Skartel and Yota, unifying them into a single entity.
MegaFon, listed in Moscow and London, completed its acquisition of the assets’ parent Maxiten for US$1.18bn plus US$566m in debt in October last year.
The deal makes it the largest 4G operator in Russia, enabling it to better compete with rivals MTS and VimpelCom, MegaFon said.
The integration of the assets took several months and included combining them into a sole entity, Skartel LLC, which will provide services under the Yota brand. In addition, Skartel telecoms equipment under contract of sale and the primary processes of support and service of the Skartel network were transferred to MegaFon.
Skartel and MegaFon have also signed a lease agreement on the communications network.
New Skartel head
Following completion of the integration, Anatoliy Smorgonski has been appointed general director of Skartel, effective 28 April. He succeeds CEO Oleg Kynazev, who led the unification of the assets and will now work on other projects for MegaFon.
An internet provider and smartphone manufacturer, Skartel has just launched mobile services under the Yota brand in the Moscow, St Petersburg and Leningrad regions. Skartel intends to expand these mobile services to all Russian regions.
