MTS Turkmenistan of Barash Communication Technologies BCTI

History

2005: MTS buys BCTI

The history of work of MTS in the Turkmen market is very dramatic. In 2005 the Russian company purchased Barash Telecommunication Company - at that time the absolute market leader. But soon after the conclusion of the transaction of the power revoked the license BCTI. After a while MTS was succeeded to agree about resumption of work in the republic, and BCTI began to give to the authorities 20% of the net profit.

2010: Stop of activity of the company

In 2010 the duration of the agreement between MTS and the government of Turkmenistan expired, and activity of BCTI was stopped again. By the time of shutdown in 2010 "subsidiary" of MTS had 2.4 million subscribers, Altyn Assyr has 300 thousand.

2012: Recovery of business for assignments of 30% of profit

MTS could return to Turkmenistan only in 2012: then the Russian company promised to deduct to the authorities of the republic already 30% of the profit of Turkmen "subsidiary".

After shutdown of MTS Turkmenistan nothing remained to her subscribers how to go to Altyn Assyr network. However, when MTS resumed the transactions in the republic, in the very first days 1 million subscribers returned to network of the operator.

2014: Friction about Turkmentelekom

For April, 2014 MTS Turkmenistan of 2 million subscribers, at Altyn Assyr has 3.5 million. The population of Turkmenistan makes 5.5 million people, the level of penetration of mobile services – 105%.

BCTI is obliged to use intercity and international trunk channels of the state monopolist in the field of fixed connection – Turkmentelekom. At the same time for April, 2014 Turkmentelekom refuses to satisfy requests of MTS Turkmenistan for expansion of the trunk capacity used for transfer of signal traffic of the operator. It creates problems for development of dochki network of MTS. Besides, Altyn Assyr obtained the license for 4G which MTS Turkmenistan is not given yet.

Thus, as note in MTS, actions of the authorities and Turkmentelekom belonging to them create preferences for the state Altyn Assyr: this operator has more profitable rates for the international roaming and the best network of mobile data transmission. For example, 1 MB of data will cost the user of Altyn Assyr 0.07 manat (0.90 rub).

At the same time to the subscriber of the Turkmen MTS of 1 MB will be costs 0.2 manat (2.5 rub), and for obtaining the cost of traffic similar with rates of the state operator, the client of MTS will have to wholesale 1.5 GB of traffic. It while users of Altyn Assyr can take advantage of bigger data transfer rate.

2017: Pristanovka of activity of the company

The MTS mobile operator stops rendering services to subscribers in Turkmenistan, declared in September, 2017 in the company. The compulsory measure — Turkmentelekom made the decision on shutdown of the international and domestic long distance communication and also Internet access^[1].

The license of the operator works in the country till 2018, MTS emphasizes. In the second quarter the 2017th the company serviced more than one and a half million subscribers in Turkmenistan. And in 2016 the operator earned in the country 260.2 million manat that makes 1.15% of the general indicators of the company.

In the market of communication of Turkmenistan the new operator of cellular — Ai Nazar can take MTS place, reported radio "Azatlyk" with reference to own sources. Creation Ai Nazar — an initiative of the president of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov who became known in July of this year. Soon after his statement, employees Turkmen MTS began to leave the company in large quantities.

The Russian operator hopes to continue work in Turkmenistan, told RIA Novosti in the press service of operator. "Despite our appeals to constructive dialogue, local and state regulators and state companies did not prolong action of permissions to use of the frequencies, lease agreements and other resources necessary for communication provision of services" — reported in the company. MTS conducts negotiations with Turkmentelekom — the operator expects a positive outcome of the conflict and hopes to resume work.

At the same time many subscribers of MTS in the country were already left without communication, the correspondent of RIA Novosti in Turkmenistan reported. The network works with big interruptions and is available only to residents of Ashgabat. The mobile Internet ceased to work absolutely.

Notes