Russian cablecos make good progress

The Russian cable operator ER Telecom has been awarded a licence to offer services as a Full MVNO.
According to ComNews, it is valid from the beginning of this month for a period of five years, with services required to start no later than November 1, 2018.
The licence covers 83 regions of the Russian Federation, with the exception of Crimea and Sevastopol, and it is expected that ER Telecom will include mobile only in packages with fixed-line services.
ER Telecom already cooperates with Russia’s ‘big four’ mobile operators, and in particular MegaFon, with which it provides a package of services including mobile telephony.
Separately, ComNews reports that Akado, another leading Russian cable operator, continues to gain subscribers and invest in its networks despite the difficulties faced by the regional telecom market.
Its digital TV and broadband customer totals increased by 5.9% and 3% respectively in the first nine months of this year.