Page 18 - bne_Tech_04_2019

Telecom
April 2019 www.intellinews.com I Page 18
Russian Towers boosts revenues by 35% in 2018, keeps expanding
Telecoms towers business Russian Towers in- creased revenues by 35% year-on-year in 2018 to over RUB3bn ($47mn), the company's head Alexander Chub told the press on March 20, as cited by Interfax.
Russian Towers is a leading operator of telecoms towers that broadcast the signal for mobile phone companies, the company explained to bne IntelliNews in an exclusive interview.
About 99% of revenue in 2018 came from the country’s four leading mobile operators: MTS,
Russia's telecom business has reached the point where incumbents are selling their tower infrastructure to third party service companies.
MegaFon, VimpelCom, and T2 RTK Holding.
The company continued expansion and operated over 4,000 units of infrastructure in 60 regions in 2018 versus to 3,200 in 55 regions in 2017. The share of urban infrastructure in the company’s portfolio increased to 56% in 2018 from 46% in 2017.
In November 2018 Russia’s biggest private equity fund UFG Private Equity bought a large minority stake in Russian Towers from its co-investor Macquarie Russia & CIS Infrastructure Fund (MRIF) for its Fund III.
Russian internet major Mail.ru posts solid 4Q18 ahead of Alibaba deal IntelliNews Pro
Russian internet major Mail.ru reported 34% year-on-year increase in revenues to RUB23.4bn ($356mn) in the fourth quarter of 2018, with Ebitda at 42% growth to RUB8.7bn in line with company's own guidance and market expectations.
Mail.ru is one of the largest Russia's internet groups and the central player in consolidation
of country's digital economy. The company is forming a strategic partnership of its shareholder mobile operator MegaFon, the sovereign Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), and Chinese e-commerce major Alibaba and its AliExpress and Tmall platforms.
Sberbank CIB on March 4 named the closure of the AliExpress Russia deal (albeit delayed by
a few months) as the main short-term catalysts for Mail.ru stock, along with expected spin-
off of Delivery Club delivery service and Youla classifieds website.
Delivery Club accelerated the revenue growth to 71% y/y in 4Q18, while Youla tipped over RUB1bn of revenues at RUB1.2bn.
At the same time key growth drivers for Mail.ru remained ad revenue (up 38% y/y) and games (up 37% y/y with top performing title Hustle