Telefónica and MegaFon have extended a strategic alliance first signed in 2013 to enable the two operators to continue to collaborate in a number of areas including procurement and network technology.
Since the agreement was first signed, the companies have collaborated on marketing and channel approaches, new network technologies such as network functions virtualisation (NFV), and on the procurement of selected network equipment. The partnership also includes cooperation on international wholesale for selected parts of the world.
What's more, the two companies said they have also completed a number of projects for major multinational companies (MNCs) and expanded their customer base with new data and wireless projects for Russian and international companies. Other new rollouts are now being prepared for rollout, they added.
Mario Martin, director of industrial alliances at Telefónica, said this type of relationship is crucial for the transformation of telecoms operators in the modern-day industry environment. In addition to MegaFon, the Spanish operator collaborates with a number of international operators covering 48 markets worldwide.
"We are confident the benefits we are both accruing will be further expanded in the next stage of the collaboration, contributing to both growth and efficiency," he said.
Alexander Sobolev, CSO at MegaFon, noted that the collaboration with Telefónica on projects gives MegaFon "access to the experience of a large international operator and allow it to continue to expand its base of large international clients in Russia."
"Extending our strategic partnership with this leading international telecommunications firm fully fits in with MegaFon's business strategy," Sobolev added.
MegaFon, which is Russia's second-largest mobile operator, will continue its membership in the Telefónica Partners Program, while Telefónica said it will continue to extend its reach to the Russian market and benefit from industry insights provided by MegaFon.
For more:
- see the Telefónica release
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