Russian state-controlled telecoms group Rostelecom has received board approval for its mobile business merger with rival Tele2 Russia. According to the press release by Rostelecom, the new entity, T2 RTK Holding, will emerge as a bigger player to compete with the rivals - MTS, MegaFon and VimpelCom that control more than 80 percent of Russia's mobile market. T2 RTK Holding is expected to attain an enhanced market position in areas which were strong footholds for Rostelecom and Tele2. The consolidated entity will have a pro forma subscriber base of approximately 38 million (Q3 2013), with pro forma 2012 revenues of approximately RUB 101 billion.
Sergey Kalugin, President of Rostelecom commented, “We are delighted to have reached an agreement with Tele2 Russia to create a new national mobile operator, with tremendous growth opportunities and exciting prospects. With support from both shareholders, T2 RTK Holding is set to be a story of great success.” Read More ''Russia’s first geo-located network optimization implemented by Actix for Rostelecom`s subsidiary BaikalWestCom'