Russia’s VimpelCom gets control in virtual operator for migrants

MOSCOW, Mar 16 (PRIME) -- Russian mobile operator VimpelCom, working under the Beeline brand, has acquired 50.2% Sim Telecom, a virtual cellular operator known as Sim Sim, dealing in contracts for labor migrants, VimpelCom’s General Director Mikhail Slobodin told reporters Wednesday.

“We plan to create a mobile ethno-system for migrants and foreign citizens on the basis of the virtual operator under the Sim Sim brand,” Slobodin said.

The amount of the deal was not disclosed, but Slobodin said it was almost cashless as VimpelCom provided its network.

Sim Sim will also assist clients in getting adapted to the country and eliminating language barriers, as well as in consulting on accommodation and permit issues.

The virtual operator has its own call center, working in the Russian, English, Kyrgyz, Tajik and Uzbek languages.

Sim Telecom will start working at the end of March on VimpelCom’s network as a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) and will open then sales of new SIM cards.

VimpelCom currently occupies some 40% of the migrant segment of the Russian mobile market and the new MVNO project will be a next step in this direction, Slobodin said.

The remaining stake in Sim Telecom belongs on parity basis to Andrei Romanenko, a founder of payment system Qiwi, and Andrei Skopinsky.

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