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Telecom
December 2019 www.intellinews.com I Page 20
Vahid Mursaliyev, president, Azercell Telecom, said: “Together with Ericsson, Azercell has launched the first 5G pilot network in the country and this fact puts our company on a par with the world leaders of the mobile market. We believe that 5G along with being a major step forward for mobile internet connectivity, will also open new possibilities for enterprises and industries to deliver greater efficiencies, productivity and empower user experiences.”
New Bulgarian owner aims to turn Telekom Albania into market leader
Bulgarian businessman Spas Roussev, who took over Telekom Albania earlier this year, said in an interview with Capital he aims to turn the Albanian telco into a market leader, and could expand into other countries in the region.
Roussev acquired Telekom Albania via Albania Telecom Invest AD, which he controls alongside Elvin Guri, an Albanian-Bulgarian investor, in
a deal that closed in May.
Last month, Roussev agreed to sell his controlling stake in Bulgaria’s largest telecoms operator BTC, which operates under the name Vivacom, to Balkan telecoms and media company United Group, owned by private equity investor BC Partners.
Commenting on his plans for the Albanian market, Roussev told Capital: “Our goal now
Sebastian Tolstoy, head of the Eastern Europe and Central Asia Customer Unit for Ericsson, said: “Together with our key partner in Azerbaijan, Azercell, we are happy to open doors to wider opportunities, in- novative solutions, and applications that 5G can bring.’’
Ericsson currently has more than 75 commercial 5G agreements or contracts with unique communication service providers. Some 24
of these are live networks.
is to make [Telekom Albania] a leader and see
if consolidation with Macedonia and Kosovo is possible. We have no plans to exit." He indicated possible interest in Deutsche Telekom’s operations in North Macedonia, but noted that as the business is profitable, it has not been prioritised for sale, and the sales procedure has not yet been launched.
Roussev also said that interest in state telecom in Kosovo would be “logical", “since there are Albanian populations in both places [Kosovo and Albania]”.
Elsewhere in the region, Roussev confirmed his interest in Deutsche Telekom’s Romanian mobile unit, but added that the seller was likely to opt for a joint offer for the mobile and the fixed unit.