Vimpelcom considering USD1bn sale of domestic broadband unit

Russian telecoms giant Vimpelcom may sell its broadband retail business, Vedomosti reports, with a view to focusing on its higher-margin mobile operations. According to two sources with knowledge of the talks, a sale of the assets could raise as much as USD1 billion, although the company is believed to be keen to retain its more lucrative corporate clients. Vedomosti suggests that privately owned ER-Telecom and TTK (TransTeleCom), which is majority owned by state-run Russian Railways, are potential buyers. Another suitor possibly in the frame is an unnamed investor group associated with well-known businessmen Arkady and Boris Rotenberg.