The investment department of Merrill Lynch has chosen three local (Russian) participants, particularly, Russian Towers, Vertical and Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), as well as foreign participants for the second round of the tender on sale of VimpelCom's tower infrastructures, an insider told Vedomosti. The information has been confirmed by two persons in VimpelCom's partner companies.
The source says that in the second round the participants will thoroughly study the sale items and will form the final price offer. Merrill Lynch has settled the date for completion of the second round - mid-March 2016.
VimpelCom sells 10000-12000 towers (their precise number will be known at the end of the second round). By selling the towers, VimpelCom intended to get no less than $0.5 billion, according to Vedomosti.
Earlier Beeline Armenia CEO Andrey Pyatakhin told an ArmInfo correspondent that it is more expedient to spend on expansion of services rather than on maintenance of unprofitable infrastructures - cell towers. "If the company can get additional funds from the use of its own infrastructure by other organizations, it will take that step. Throughout the world, mobile operators seek to be client-oriented rather than to spend on maintenance of infrastructures. The infrastructure is a profitable asset only if managed competently," Pyatakhin said.
To note, ArmenTel CJSC (Beeline brand) is a member of VimpelCom Group. VimpelCom is one of the world's largest integrated telecommunications services operators providing voice and data services through a range of traditional and broadband mobile and fixed technologies in Russia, Italy, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Armenia, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Algeria, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Burundi, Zimbabwe, Central African Republic and Canada. VimpelCom provides services under the "Beeline", "Kyivstar", "Wind", "Infostrada" "Mobilink", "Leo", "Banglalink", "Telecel", and "Djezzy" brands.