Megafon acquires LTE 4G technology

Alisher Usmanov, one of Russia’s richest oligarchs, plans to add Scartel, the broadband internet provider which operates under the brand name Yota, into his telecommunications empire, Megafon.

Through this acquisition Megafon will acquire Scartel?s LTE 4G landing stations that were developed in a state innovation programme. Currently the company is owned by the state and business man Sergei Anouyev and currently valued at USD 1 billion, will be added to Usmanov’s USD 15 billion AF Telecom Holding. Scartel?s technology is used among others by Rostelecom, a state enterprise and leading long-distance telephony provider.

Alisher Usmanov, is the world?s 28 the richest person. He holds a majority share of Metalloinvest, one of Russia?s largest metal production conglomerates. He is also co-owner of a major media holding with Kommersant and SekretFirmy publishing houses, SUP a company that controls internet newspapers gazeta.ru, livejournal.com.

Usmanov owns a stake in a major Russian media holding, which controls Russian 7TV. Usmanov is co-owner of Digital Sky Technologies, which owns stakes in major Russian social networks mail.ru, odnoklassniki.ru, vkontakte.ru, facebook.com. He is a majority shareholder in Arsenal Football Club and a sponsor of Moscow’s Dynamo Football Club.