Moscow metro Wi-Fi operator in talks to enter US market soon

MOSCOW, Dec 15 (PRIME) -- MaximaTelecom, a Wi-Fi operator of the Moscow underground, is holding talks on metro Wi-Fi connection in the U.S., Sergei Aslanyan, chairman of the company’s board of directors, told reporters Tuesday.

“Demand for such projects on the U.S. market is heavy. I went on road show across the U.S. and met with almost all big players on this market; we’ve talked with representatives of underground systems and (U.S. railway company) Amtrack,” Aslanyan said.

“We are holding quite concrete negotiations, but we won’t unveil details before signing the agreements.”

Technological difficulties of the project and its monetization are the main reasons behind the lack of such initiatives in the U.S. “We’ve created a platform to monetize free Wi-Fi. Know-how and monetization are key elements of success in this project,” the executive said.

New York could become the first city where the Russian company could launch free Wi-Fi in 2016.

MaximaTelecom put in operation a free, U.S. $70 million Wi-Fi in the Moscow metro in December 2014. The payback period is five years. In November, the company equipped the Moscow airport of Sheremetyevo with the Wi-Fi network. MaximaTelecom belongs to Aslanyan and a group of private investors.

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