Alfa Telecom / Altimo

Alfa Telecom / Altimo
No week in the recent months without an announcement concerning Alfa Telecom (Russia). The latest is a change in the name of the company. Alfa Telecom will be named Altimo from now. Altimo is the leading private equity investment firm in Russia and the CIS, and targets to look for a global partnership with foreign investors. Altimo history is however chequered and includes several issues with its partners. Remember the alleged breaches by several Alfa group affiliates of a shareholder agreement between Telenor and Altimo related to Vimpelcom control strategy, with Telenor going into arbitration. Remember, how tumultuous relations are between Altimo and Teliasonera when Altimo displaced Teliasonera in overtaking Turkcell (Turkey). A new case is up to date: IPOC claims that Altimo does not own 25% in Megafon (Russia) and encroaches on its own rights.
Altimo strategy, to be the premier partner of choice for global telecoms companies seeking to venture into new and emerging markets across Eurasia, could be hit by those repetitive complaints.