According to an unconfirmed report by online portal Pre-paid MVNO, Russian cellular giant Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) has yet to sign a formal mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) contract with Long Term Evolution (LTE) provider Yota, despite previously testing the 4G technology in Kazan in the Republic of Tatarstan. The admission arguably puts MTS at a significant disadvantage to its rivals as they prepare to build out their own independent LTE networks.
As at 31 December 2012 domestic rival MegaFon had already notched up 130,000 LTE MVNO subscribers. MegaFon currently piggybacks on Yota’s 4G network in Moscow, Novosibirsk, Samara, Vladivostok, Ufa, Krasnodar, St Petersburg, Kazan, Vladimir, Tula and Bryansk.