Digital Holdings

Digital Holding is a joint venture between Russian MegaFon and UeSE Telecom and the Government of Uzbekistan. The joint venture includes telecom operator Ucell, New Solutions (formerly ICS Holding Uzbekistan) and CRPT Turon. The activities of the joint venture are aimed at expanding access and improving the quality of telecommunications services in the Republic of Uzbekistan, in particular, through the formation of digital infrastructure in accordance with international standards, as well as the introduction of advanced technologies and systems in the field of data storage and processing, digital marking and control of the movement of certain types of goods.

History

2022: Launch of the program of development of IT specialists of Uzbekistan

On April 25, 2022, MegaFon announced that together with the Ministry for the Development of Information Technologies and Communications of Uzbekistan it is launching a program for the development and employment of IT specialists. This is provided for by a signed memorandum.

The collaboration is aimed at training and developing IT specialists of different levels in the most popular specialties in the field of development and programming. After the training, participants will have access to an internship program depending on their qualifications or the opportunity to immediately start working on real projects in MegaFon's team.

MegaFon has extensive expertise in implementing the most complex IT projects. In 2021, we entered the market, Uzbekistan where together with partners we are developing a digital holding - Digital Holding, which includes one of the market representatives, "said cellular communications UcellMegaFon CEO. - Khachatur PombukhchanWe see great potential as countries a large IT hub in Central, and Asia we are ready to contribute to development, share expertise and use our own resources to train high-class specialized specialists.

According to the survey of the labor market for 2021, prepared by the HeadHunter of Uzbekistan, as of April 2022, IT ranks second among the most sought-after professional areas among employers in the country. The incomes of IT industry workers traditionally occupy the top line of the rating - both in terms of level and growth dynamics relative to 2020.

Uzbekistan is implementing a number of projects to train young people in IT specialties. So, if in the early 2000s there were only a few hundred IT specialists in the country, then in April 2022 there are already more than 50 thousand of them. By 2030, the task is to bring the number of IT specialists to a million people, "said Oleg Pekos, First Deputy Minister for the Development of Information Technologies and Communications of the Republic of Uzbekistan. - We expect that cooperation with MegaFon will give impetus to ICT skills training.

2021

Completion of Digital Holding

UESeM Telecom and MegaFon, together with partners from Uzbekistan, completed the formation of a joint venture Digital Holding. This was announced by MegaFon on September 30, 2021. The parties signed the final package of documents on the creation of the joint venture. Digital Holding will be headed by Vladimir Kravchenko, who previously served as CEO of Ucell.

The activities of Digital Holding will be aimed at expanding access and improving the quality of telecommunications services in the Republic of Uzbekistan, in particular, through the formation of digital infrastructure in accordance with international standards, as well as the introduction of technologies and systems in the field of data storage and processing, digital marking and control of the movement of certain types of goods.

The joint venture included 100% of the authorized capital of telecom operator Ucell, subsidiaries of USM - CRPT Turon and ICS Holding Uzbekistan. The Russian side will also send $100 million in investments in the development of Digital Holding. In the joint venture, 51% will belong to Digital Invest, a joint venture of MegaFon and YueSeM Telecom, 49% to the State Assets Management Agency of Uzbekistan.

Andrei Shishkovsky, who previously served as Director for Regional Development of MegaFon in Russia, was appointed General Director of the Ucell operator (COSCOM LLC). ICS Holding Uzbekistan will be headed by Andrei Maigur, Anatoly Bachikalov will retain the post of general director of CRPT Turon.

{{quote 'The creation of JV Digital Holding, the arrival on the market of such a strong player as MegaFon PJSC will contribute to the implementation of technological solutions. The country's leadership has set great tasks for the digital transformation of sectors of the economy, including the further development of mobile communications.

The digital economy is identified as the main driver of economic growth, therefore it is necessary to improve the quality of mobile communication and Internet services, accelerate the development of e-commerce systems, digital services and software products, "said Olimzhon Umarov, Adviser to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Uzbekistan.}}

I am sure that the expertise of MegaFon and our partners IKS Holding and CRPT, as well as the professional team formed already at the stage of creating the joint venture, will allow the holding to take high positions in the country and offer the most advanced technologies to both subscribers and the business community. From MegaFon, we will give colleagues from Uzbekistan full access to our experience, technologies and successful cases, "said MegaFon CEO Khachatur Pombukhchan.

Digital Invest and the Government of Uzbekistan create Digital Holdings

In February 2021, the Russian mobile operator Megaphone"" and its only shareholder - the holding USM Telecom (is part of) USM Holdings Alisher Usmanova - announced their entry into the market. Uzbekistan For this, the parties created a joint venture "Digital Invest" on a parity basis, which, in turn Uzbekistan , formed the holding Digital Holdings with the authorities.

The State Assets Management Agency of Uzbekistan will contribute 100% of the shares of the local mobile operator Coscom (Ucell trademark) to Digital Holdings. In exchange, the agency will receive 49% in this holding^[1]

Russian partners will receive a 51% stake in Digital Holdings. Megafon and USM will invest $100 million in this holding and transfer to it their digital assets in Uzbekistan: CRPT Turon and ICS Holding Uzbekistan.

CRPT Turon is a subsidiary of the Russian company Center for the Development of Advanced Technologies (CRPT), which is engaged in a system of mandatory marking and tracking of goods. CRPT is a joint venture of USM (the holding owns 50%), Rostec State Corporation (25%) and Elvis-Plus Group (25%). CRPT Turon was created in the format of public-private partnership and based on the results of the experiment was determined as the operator of the marking system in Uzbekistan.

ICS Holding Uzbekistan is a subsidiary of the Russian IKS Holding, consolidating about 30 IT companies, including the Citadel (unites SORM developers), the developer of Yadro data storage systems, Kryptonit holding (information security), etc. In 2020, USM became the owner of 100% of IKS Holding.

Notes