Russia may be about to see significant consolidation in its regional cable networks.
According to Lenta, MTS, which owns the brand Stream TV, has entered into negotiations with ER-Telecom, one of the country’s largest cable companies.
ER-Telecom owns the brands Divan-TV and Divan-TV+ and has a presence in 17 cities in the Volga and Ural regions. It claims 39% and 32% respective market shares in the cable and broadband internet sectors in those cities.
ER-Telecom’s value is put at around R5 billion (€113.8 million). MTS is apparently interested in acquiring networks in cities with populations of at least 100,000-200,000.