Page 21 - bne_Tech_May_2018_v2-1

The Regions This Month
May, 2018 www.intellinews.com I Page 21
Eastern Europe
One of Russia's "big three" mobile operators MegaFon might become the first to roll out a 5G network in Moscow, Vedomosti daily reported on April 3. MegaFon’s board has approved buying 100% in Neosprit, which owns the third largest frequency portfolio in Moscow in the 3.4-3.5Hhz range, which would be required for a 5G roll out. The “Digital Economy” program approved by
the government targets a 5G roll out in all large Russian cities with over 1mn population by 2020.
The turnover of Russia's e-commerce reached RUB1.04 trillion ($18bn) in 2017, growing by
13% year-on-year, Vedomosti daily said on April 4 citing the data by the Association of Internet Trade Companies (AKIT).
The sales of Internet-connected household appliances such as refrigerators, washers, dryers, and other jumped by 50% in Russia to 1.2mn units, Vedomosti daily said on April 3 citing the data by M.Video retailer. In monetary terms the sales gained 70% to RUB29bn ($0.5bn).
Russian internet services major Mail.ru together with MegaFon mobile operator will invest in Citymobil, a taxi aggregator operating in Moscow and St Petersburg that currently sees 65% of rides booked via a mobile application, the companies said on April 5.
Eurasia
The Kazakh central bank launched a blockchain- based mobile securities trading application, Invest Online. The move is aimed at getting locals more involved in the capital markets via simplified access. Kazakhstan’s stock and bond markets have only a few institutional investors and 109,000 retail investors.
Southeast Europe
Shareholders of Turkcell Holding agreed
to distribute a total of TRY1.9bn (€385mn) worth of dividends from Turkcell’s 2017 profit which controls a 51% majority stake in Turkey’s largest telecom operator Turkcell, on March
28. Telia Company is the largest shareholder of Turkcell. Turkcell’s net income rose by 31% y/y to TRY1.98bn (€401mn) in 2017 while revenues rose by 21% y/y to TRY17bn.
The number of broadband connections including ADSL, WiMAX, WiFi and KDS in Montenegro rose 17.4% y/y to 141,926 as of the end of February, according to data from the country's telecoms agency, the Agency for Electronic Communications and Postal Services of Montenegro (EKIP). The number of broadband connections is constantly rising in the Adriatic country, which has a population of just over 600,000 people. ADSL connections, which had a 39.47% market share, dropped 4.8% y/y to 56,021 at end-February. WiMax connections fell 16.1% y/y to 2,914, and their market share fell to 2.05% from 2.87%. The number of fixed-line telephony users in Montenegro increased by 5.4% y/y to 155,886 at end-February, according to data from the telecommunications agency (EKIP).
The Romanian central bank’s rhetoric has impaired the functioning of cryptocurrency exchange platforms, and de facto blocked
some €200mn worth of bitcoins and other such currencies held by Romanian investors, the
head of the United Blockchain Association, an NGO striving to bring together virtual currency stakeholders, explained in an interview with Ziarul Financiar daily. At this moment, investors have to travel abroad to cash their virtual currencies. And yet, 26 ICOs (Initial Coin Offerings, used to raise funds like in IPOs) have been launched in Romania this year already, in order to finance projects
or business ideas, according to Ernst&Young data quoted by UBA president Andrei Stanica.