«Sberbank-Telecom», Sber's virtual operator with a market share of around 3%, is in negotiations to connect a new infrastructure partner. «Vimpelcom» (Beeline) has expressed interest and is ready to become the main partner for the project. Currently, «SberMobile» operates on the networks of «T2 Mobile» (Tele2), «MegaFon», and «Miranda-Media» — a change in configuration could redistribute millions of subscribers between operators.
The virtual operator was launched in 2018 on the «T2 Mobile» network. In 2024, «MegaFon» joined the project — initially in 15 regions, then the coverage expanded. At the same time, «Sberbank-Telecom» entered new regions on the «Miranda-Media» network. Konstantin Ankilov, CEO of «TMT Consulting», estimates the operator's current share at «over 2%, approaching 3%» — a significant figure for a virtual player.
Why «Vimpelcom» Needs Virtual Operators
In May 2025, «Vimpelcom» announced plans to capture a quarter of the virtual operators market by 2028 — through partnerships with banks. At that time, the company controlled around 1% of the segment, while more than half the market was controlled by «T2 Mobile» projects. Since the beginning of 2025, virtual operators from Alfa-Bank, Russian Post, and other companies have launched on «Vimpelcom»'s network. In June, «T-Mob» (T-Bank) was added to the list in Amur region and Yakutia — previously the bank operator worked there on MTS.
The partnership with «Sberbank-Telecom» aligns with «Vimpelcom»'s strategy: attract major virtual players, optimize its own network load, and capture subscribers from competitors. Eldar Murtazin, leading analyst at Mobile Research Group, believes that «Vimpelcom» is interested in occupying underutilized capacity after infrastructure expansion, while «Sberbank-Telecom» wants to improve connection quality and reduce dependence on one or two partners.
What Will Change for Subscribers and Operators
A virtual operator typically switches to a new partner's network if it offers better conditions or coverage. «MegaFon»'s press service confirmed: having multiple anchor partners is standard market practice, allowing coverage scaling and load balancing in case of failures. If «Vimpelcom» becomes «Sberbank-Telecom»'s partner, this will hurt «MegaFon» and «T2 Mobile» revenue — some traffic will shift to Beeline's network.
«Right now there's aggressive competition for subscribers, and this whole situation is part of that battle», — Konstantin Ankilov, «TMT Consulting».
Ankilov warns that «Vimpelcom»'s subscribers could shift to «Sberbank-Telecom», forcing the former to defend against the outflow. Murtazin expects a slowdown in revenue growth for the virtual operator's current partners. Denis Kuskov, CEO of Telecom Daily, clarifies: the decision to switch partners shouldn't be based solely on isolated failures — there need to be sustained trends over six months to a year, linked to technological lag or a limited number of base stations.
Takeaways for Brands: Where to Find Virtual Operator Audiences
Subscriber redistribution between operators changes the map of audience presence in regions. Brands planning influencer advertising or media buying campaigns should account for the fact that part of their target audience may switch operators along with the virtual project. This affects the choice of bloggers, reach, and integration costs — especially in regions where «Sberbank-Telecom» shows high market share. The ETC team analyzes such shifts when selecting influencers and forecasting KPIs to ensure media plans account for the actual audience distribution across operators and platforms.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a virtual mobile operator?
A virtual operator doesn't build its own network but leases infrastructure from a major operator — the «big three» or a regional player. This allows banks, retailers, and other companies to launch mobile services under their own brand without investing billions in towers and equipment. Russia's largest virtual operators are projects from Sber, T-Bank, and Alfa-Bank.
Why is «Sberbank-Telecom» switching partners?
The official reason is to redistribute load between networks and improve connection quality. Having multiple infrastructure partners is standard practice: if problems arise on one operator's network, traffic switches to another. Negotiations with «Vimpelcom» are part of a diversification and coverage optimization strategy in regions.
How does an operator switch affect subscribers?
Virtual operator subscribers typically don't notice a partner switch: their number, tariff, and personal account remain the same. Only the infrastructure changes — the towers that the device connects to. Connection quality may improve or worsen depending on the new operator's coverage in a specific region.
In Brief
- «Sberbank-Telecom» (market share ~3%) is in negotiations with «Vimpelcom» on a partnership under a virtual operator model.
- «Vimpelcom» plans to capture 25% of the virtual operators market by 2028 — currently the company has around 1% of the segment.
- «Vimpelcom»'s connection could slow revenue growth for «MegaFon» and «T2 Mobile», whose networks host «SberMobile».
- Analysts believe the partnership is beneficial to both sides: «Vimpelcom» optimizes network load, «Sberbank-Telecom» improves connection quality and reduces risks.
- For brands, subscriber redistribution between operators is important to consider when planning influencer advertising and media buying campaigns in regions.
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