The telco plans to launch the first Vodafone-branded store in the city
Mobile operator MTS Ukraine, which has recently branded its operations under the Vodafone Ukraine brand, announced it’s in the process of completing the installation and testing of 3G network infrastructure in the city of Kiev. The telco expects to commercially launch the service in the coming days, with expected download speeds of up to 42 megabits per second.
Vodafone Ukraine also said it’s testing the 3G network in Mycolaiv, where it expects to start offering the service in December. The company’s 3G network currently covers Uzhgorod, Mukachevo, Odesa and Chernivtsi.
MTS also said it’s in the process of opening the first Vodafone Ukraine-branded store in Kiev.
Last month, MTS and Vodafone signed a strategic partnership under which the two companies will rollout 3G services and develop a number of new services in the market using the Vodafone brand.
Headquartered in Kiev, MTS Ukraine counts more than 20 million customers and 3,800 employees. MTS Ukraine is owned by Russian group Mobile TeleSystems, which offers mobile and fixed voice, broadband and pay-TV in Russia, Ukraine, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus. Including its subsidiaries, the MTS Group serves more than 100 million mobile subscribers.
Saudi Telecom makes offer to fully acquire Kuwaiti operator Viva
In other EMEA news, Saudi Telecom submitted an offer to acquire full control of Kuwaiti mobile operator Viva. The Saudi telco said the deal still needs to be approved by Kuawit’s regulator Capital Market Authority.
Saudi Telecom currently owns a 26% stake in the Kuwaiti telecom operator.
In Saudi Arabia, Saudi Telecom offer mobile and fixed telecom services as well as corporate services. The telco also fully controls mobile operator Viva Bahrain and owns a 35% stake in Oger Telecom, which controls mobile operator Avea in Turkey and Cell-C in South Africa.
