Sistema files for approval to buy Sky Link -watchdog
MOSCOW, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Russian services conglomerate Sistema (SSAq.L) has applied for regulatory approval to buy the 50 percent stake of telecoms company Sky Link it does not already own, the state anti-monopoly agency said on Monday.
The Federal Anti-Monopoly Service said it had received a petition from a Sistema unit to acquire 50 percent of voting shares in Sky Link.
Sistema declined to comment. Sky Link is a Russian cellular operator working in the CDMA standard. It had more than 700,000 subscribers in July, revenue of about $300 million in 2007 and monthly average revenue per user of $49.3.
Last month, an industry source said Sistema planned to sell its 50 percent stake in another telecom company, long-distance provider Multiregional TransitTelecom (MTT), and immediately buy the remaining stake in Sky Link.
Sistema said at the time it did not rule out some sort of a deal involving its stake in MTT.
Sistema's main asset is Russia's largest mobile phone operator, MTS (Mobile TeleSystems) (MBT.N). It also controls fixed-line operators Comstar (CMSTq.L) and MGTS (MGTS.RTS), and has a diversified portfolio of non-telecom assets. (Reporting by Maria Kiselyova; Editing by Erica Billingham)
