The deal comes as a result of an initiative from the Ministry of Communications and Mass Media for the Russian Federation and will see VimpelCom deploy base stations in 19 regions across Russia, and MTS deploying infrastructure in a further 17.
“Expanding the 4G LTE networks in Russia will enable an improved experience for customers of both VimpelCom Russia and MTS and allow for continued mobile data growth,” said Mikhail Slobodin, CEO at VimpelCom Russia.
For the first seven years of the project, the two operators will share base stations, platforms and infrastructure, but each will maintain its core network.
The deal also allows for separate development and investment opportunities should the operators wish to provide additional coverage for their customers.
This partnership between VimpelCom Russia and MTS establishes a unique precedent in Russia, leading the way for other companies to actively begin sharing network infrastructure,” said Andrei Dubovskov, president at MDS.
“Further, this partnership presents the opportunity to deploy 4G LTE networks in areas that were previously unattractive for a single operator and provide excellent coverage due to the variety of sites for base stations.”
