Russian e-commerce giant Wildberries is planning to enter the mobile market as a virtual mobile network operator (MVNO). Experts believe that T2 is the most likely partner for this initiative.
According to a source at a federal telecom operator who spoke to Kommersant, Wildberries is currently negotiating terms with operators to launch services on their networks. Representatives from Vympelkom (Beeline), Megafon, MTS, and T2 have not responded to inquiries about whether they are in talks with Wildberries.
Megafon’s network already hosts five MVNOs and is open to new partnerships. MTS operates “T-Mobile” in 17 regions. T2 stated that it is open to partnerships and currently supports more than 25 operators on its network. By the end of the year, 54% of all MVNO subscribers are expected to be served on T2’s network.
Kirill Kucherov, director of the Telecommunications Services Department at J’son & Partners Consulting, said Wildberries’ MVNO subscriber base could reach around 6 million in five to six years—comparable to T-Mobile’s—provided they offer attractive products for customers.
Industry participants welcome the entry of a new player to the MVNO market, as it will boost competition. Yota, however, stated that the new entrant will not change its development strategy.
It’s worth noting that in April 2025, Alfa-Bank launched its own mobile operator service for customers. Regular SIM cards and eSIMs are available only at some bank branches in selected regions.
