"We have been closely monitoring the development

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PJSC MegaFon will provide Sberbank-Telecom LLC (SberMobile), which operates as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO), with infrastructure for operations in the Volga region, the North Caucasus and the Far East, and during 2024 the partners intend to expand the geography of cooperation throughout Russia.

The virtual operator Yota (OOO Scartel) that belongs to MegaFon operates on the network. SberMobile previously operated only on the network of OOO T2 Mobile (Tele2).

The press service of SberMobile colombia whatsapp number database reported that MegaFon will become the second support operator on par with Tele2, which will allow SberMobile to receive the status of a federal operator: "Cooperation with MegaFon does not cancel the agreements with Tele2 - we will continue cooperation."

of external MVNO projects on the market and evaluating them based on their economic efficiency. For us, cooperation with SberMobile is promising. We see great potential in the synergy of technologies, the launch of digital products and the development of such areas as the Internet of Things, spam protection, and cybersecurity," MegaFon's press service told a ComNews correspondent.

When asked by a ComNews correspondent whether MegaFon is negotiating with other virtual operators about possible cooperation, the operator's press service responded that MegaFon is open to partnership with all MVNOs if the cooperation is mutually beneficial.

Doubling host operators

Telecom market expert, former CEO of Sberbank-Telecom LLC Ruslan Gurdzhiyan told a ComNews correspondent that the partnership with MegaFon is a pre-thought-out and prepared contract. "The first aspect of this deal is technical. MVNO SberMobile is a technologically mature provider that can work on several networks simultaneously or change one operator to another, although not all virtual operators can do this," he said.

The second component, according to Ruslan Gurdzhiyan, is economic. "The main role is played by the cost of a gigabyte. At the moment, the offer from MegaFon could become more commercially interesting for SberMobile. Therefore, if this factor remains unchanged, then there will be no restrictions for SberMobile on migration from Tele2 to MegaFon. In addition, MegaFon will provide federal coverage. But it is also necessary to take into account that MegaFon will need to create support processes for an external independent large MVNO, as well as a supporting infrastructure - billing and SORM will require special attention," explained the former head of SberMobile.

Ruslan Gurdzhiyan was the CEO of Sberbank-Telecom LLC since 2016. Since October 2023, this position has been occupied by Sergey Volkov, who was previously the Director of Development of the Virtual Operators and Partnerships Segment at Tele2. Olga Kravtsova, who previously held the position of Director of the Department for Work with Federal Sales Channels at this company, now works in Sergey Volkov's previous position at Tele2.

iKS-Consulting analyst Maxim Savvatin believes that if the new cooperation does not exclude, but complements cooperation with Tele2, then for such a virtual operator as SberMobile, one of the largest players in the Russian MVNO market, it is quite normal to expand cooperation with one of the leaders in the Russian mobile communications market.

"Working with two host operators at once will allow SberMobile to improve coverage and offer new services. This is also part of the work on user loyalty in conditions when the subscriber base is growing and competition in the Russian MVNO market is intensifying," added Maxim Savvatin.