Kyrgyz Telecom brings world-class services to individual and corporate customers in Kyrgyzstan. With a 92% share of the fixed-line market and a 14% share in the overall telecom market, the state-owned enterprise remains the dominant player in the country’s liberalised telecom sector, which now accounts for around 14% of Kyrgyzstan’s GDP.
“We have 440,000 contracts for fixed-line services, and even though there are now 247 licensed telecom operators in Kyrgyzstan, we are the only company that provides services to every city and village in the country. In the future, we aim to enter the mobile market as well,” explains Askar Baratbaev, CEO and President. In addition to providing fixed-line services, Kyrgyz Telecom offers international calls, Internet data transfer, and tele-radio broadcasting.
With the support of funding from the World Bank and the EBRD, Kyrgyz Telecom has already upgraded 80% of its network from analogue to digital and is now looking for investors and partners to provide the €19.3 million necessary to finish this initiative. The company is also seeking financial support to launch mobile services, a project with exceptional potential given Kyrgyz Telecom’s established market presence. Askar Baratbaev explains, “To offer mobile services, we need around €31 million. We are looking for credit at low interest, or for individual partners.”
North-south fibre-optic cable network
Providing reliable telecom services in a very mountainous country where some villages are at around 4,000 m elevation presents major challenges. To improve its infrastructure and cope with these geographical constraints, Kyrgyz Telecom is working on a project to connect the northern and southern parts of Kyrgyzstan with a fibre-optic-cable network. Askar Baratbaev says, “As you can imagine, this is challenging, but we have highly qualified engineers working on it. We hope to complete this project by the end of 2013. It helps that we are already the only company with a cable network that reaches throughout the country.”
Kyrgyz Telecom is the ideal partner in Kyrgyzstan thanks to its market-leading position, positive image and strong track record. “Operating transparently is a high priority for us and we are strongly supporting our country’s e-government programme,” Askar Baratbaev says. Urging international investors to explore opportunities in Kyrgyzstan, he adds, “Europeans should not be afraid of Kyrgyzstan. Even though this country has had some troubles in the recent past, we are entering an era that is very safe and prosperous. We are ready to work with investors and partners from anywhere in the world.”
96 Chuy ave.
720000 Bishkek
Tel: +996 312 68 1616
[email protected]
www.kt.kg
