Russia’s MTS is planning to buy the St Petersburg-based ISP SkyNet for a reported $42 million (€32.5 million).
According to Kommersant, the acquisition would increase MTS’s share of the internet market in the city from 2% to 8%, with SkyNet currently claiming 85,000 subscribers.
Although the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) has already approved a possible acquisition, MTS still faces competition from VimpelCom, MegaFon and Transtelecom for SkyNet.
MTS is a leading provider of pay-TV services in Russia, ending last year with 3 million subscribers.
Its internet subscriber total meanwhile exceeded 2 million.