Rostelecom acquires indirect control of MaximaTelecom
MOSCOW. April 3 (Interfax) - Rostelecom has acquired indirect control of JSC MaximaTelecom, material facts posted on the information disclosure website showed.
This indirect control was acquired through JSC Macomnet, a joint venture between Rostelecom and the Moscow Metro in which Russia's national telecom provider holds a 51% stake.
Macomnet acquired 76.25% of MaximaTelecom on March 31 for an undisclosed price from JSC Investmir, one of the shareholders of which is MaximaTelecom board chairman Sergei Aslanyan. Aslyanyan has divested his 34.74% stake in MaximaTelecom.
Macomnet and MaximaTelecom told Interfax that they plan to jointly expand the range of digital services provided on transport.
"Both companies have extensive telecommunication infrastructure and considerable experience implementing projects to digitize the urban environment and the transport sector in the capital region. The transaction will facilitate the expansion of cooperation with city customers and produce synergies in the development of new digital services for city residents," a spokesman for Macomnet said. The deal includes MaximaTelecom's operator business, he added.
MaximaTelecom said earlier that it had restructured its assets, separating them into two key areas - integration solutions and the operator business. The latter includes the company's wireless data network infrastructure in the Moscow subway and competencies associated with its development and operation. The company will continue to develop services provided through its own infrastructure and the group's whole business in Wi-Fi network construction and commercialization, the statement said.
MaximaTelecom operates a citywide Wi-Fi network in Moscow and networks on public transport, including subways, in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kazan and Magadan, as well as at regional Russian airports. The company specializes in digital solutions and infrastructure projects for cities and sectors of the economy. Companies in the group provide technology solutions and implement projects to digitize transport, municipal services, industrial enterprises, the housing and utilities sector and other key sectors.
Macomnet, founded in February 1993, builds networks for mobile providers and distributed media content transmission systems on transport infrastructure. The company is 51% owned by Rostelecom and 49% by Moscow Metro.