2014 Russia - Telecoms, IP Networks, Digital Media and Forecasts

Report Cover Image

Last updated: 11 Aug 2014 Update History

Report Status: Archived

Report Pages: 96

Publication Overview

This report provides a concise overview of Russia’s fixed-line telecommunications and IT market. It includes key regulatory developments, information on fixed-line networks, and telcos’ financial and operating data and strategies. It reviews the maturing broadband market, providing an overview of major players, technology platforms, statistics and subscriber forecasts to 2020. The report also assesses the vast mobile market, covering regulatory measures such as MNP, the major mobile operators, technologies, and the developing mobile data, content and applications segments.

Researcher:- Henry Lancaster
Current publication date:- August 2014 (13th Edition)

Executive Summary

Russia delivering the strongest fibre-based broadband growth in Europe

Russia’s huge and fully liberalised telecom market is supported by a population of about 143 million. Although the market is dominated by the western regions where the main cities and economic centres are concentrated, efforts continue to be made to improve infrastructure in remote areas, where many smaller towns still lack mobile or internet services.

The country possesses a vast broadcasting market undergoing rapid change. Both freely accessible and paid content is widely available from cable TV, terrestrial, internet protocol TV and satellite platforms. Competition is driving new network deployments and network modernisation, as incumbent broadcasters face challenges associated with digitising analogue networks and increased competition from new market entrants, particularly from the telecom sector.

Russia also has the largest mobile market in Europe, with more than 241 million subscriptions and a penetration rate of about 170%. Although a number of operators offer services, the market is dominated by MTS, VimpelCom and MegaFon, which have expanded nationally through the acquisition of smaller regional service providers. Competition in the key markets of Moscow and St Petersburg is fierce, due to the size of the cities’ populations and the higher concentration of wealth there. Significant market developments include the acquisition by Megafón of Scartel’s network, and the merger of Tele2 Russia with Rostelecom. The deployment of HSPA networks presents a new growth opportunity through the offering of mobile broadband services, while the rapidly evolving LTE sector offers considerable promise for operator revenue and the fast developing mobile broadband sector.

Key developments:

Rostelecom completes first stage of JV with Tele2 Russia, appointed the sole universal telecom services provider; ER Telecom completes first stage of backbone network; Polarnet cleared to build $2 billion trans-Arctic cable; MTS and VimpelCom invest RUB2 billion on 4,500km fibre infrastructure; MegaFon collaborates with utility EuroSibEnergo, using power lines for fibre-optic network in Siberia; Moscow Metro tenders for WiFi contract across its network; regulator announces regional WiMAX licensees; government approves RUB3.1 billion investment for satellite broadband in remote areas; mobile internet subscriber base reaches 63.5 million; MegaFon signs seven-year infrastructure upgrade contract with Huawei; MNOs join forces for m-commerce platform; VimpelCom merges with subsidiaries, signs five-managed services contract with Ericsson; MNP now available for subscribers; 900MHz used for 3G following technological neutrality ruling; four licensees receive 800MHz spectrum for LTE; Space Systems (GSS) secures transponder on Astra 1F; amended TV broadcasting rules adopted; regulator’s market data to March 2014; telcos’ financial and operating data to Q2 2014; market developments to mid-2014.

Companies and subsidiaries covered in this report include:

MTS, TransTeleCom, VimpelCom, ER-Telecom, MTS, Rostelecom, PeterStar, Comstar, Mostelecom, Akado Group, NTV, Ren TV, CTC Media, TV Radio Company, Synterra Telecom, Comstar, Volga Telecom, Summa Telecom, MetroMAX, Yota (Scartel), Virgin Connect, Enforta, Golden Telecom; MegaFon, Tele2 Russia, Skylink, SMARTS Group, Uralsvyazinform.

Data in this report is the latest available at the time of preparation and may not be for the current year

Related Reports

Share this Report

TMT Intelligence

A platform to scale your intelligence tasks

Monitor critical insights with our AI-powered Market Intelligence Platform gathering and analyzing intelligence in real time. With AI trained to spot emerging trends and detect new strategic opportunities, our clients use TMT Intelligence to accelerate their growth.

If you want to know more about it, please see:

TMT Intelligence Platform

Research Methodology

BuddeComm's strategic business reports contain a combination of both primary and secondary research statistics, analyses written by our senior analysts supported by a network of experts, industry contacts and researchers from around the world as well as our own scenario forecasts.

For more details, please see:

Research Methodology

More than 4,000 customers from 140 countries utilise BuddeComm Research

Are you interested in BuddeComm's Custom Research Service?

News & Views

Have the latest telecommunications industry news delivered to your inbox by subscribing to BuddeComm's weekly newsletter.

Unsubscribe