Rostelecom’s subsidiary Bashinformsvyaz (Bashtel) has acquired a small B2B service provider, Prometey, which operates its own fibre network in St Petersburg and the Leningrad region.
In 2018, Prometey’s turnover was RUB 430 million (£5.5 million), with 1,600 business and government customers, including business centres and commercial properties. It has also collaborated with the local authority on the St Petersburg ‘Safe City’ initiative.
Since 2016 the company has invested in B2C services, providing internet and cable TV services for new-build properties in the Murino area of the Leningrad region, and currently serving around 20,000 households.
Anna Shumeyko, SVP Rostelecom, said the acquisition would broaden the range of opportunities for Rostelecom to implement its Smart City projects.
Rostelecom followed this acquisition by buying Alliance Telecom, which offers internet and TV services in Vladivostok, Ussuriysk, Nakhodka and Artyom. The company’s turnover was around 900 million roubles (£10.1 million) in 2018.
Alliance is primarily a consumer carrier, but around 20% of its revenue comes from 6,000 business customers.
Rostelecom itself has an MVNO base of over 1.3 million users, and provides e-government, cybersecurity, data centres, cloud computing and biometry, addressing the healthcare, education, housing & utility and smart home markets.