Kazakhstan and Central Asia Telecommunications Report Q3 2014 - New Report Available

The Central Asia region has seen a number of 4G LTE launches since April 2014, including NurTelecom in Kyrgyzstan, Altyn Asyr in Turkmenistan and Tcell in Tajikistan. MPs in Kazakhstan have also submitted a recommendation that LTE licences should be issued to rival companies in the market to sole licensee Altel , In order to encourage competition. We generally expect growth for this more expensive service and technology will be slow in the region, given low purchasing power and low uptake of 3G. However, it is certainly a positive development for the region and demonstrates that companies are willing to continue their investment strategies, hoping to tap into Central Asia's vast telecoms potential. Government interference in the sector remains the key risk in the telecoms industry, however, and we tend to believe that this high risk outweighs the potential rewards at the time.

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Key Data

* Mobile operators' revenue in Kyrgyzstan increased by 18.5% to KGS25.06bn (USD484.8mn) in 2013. This was despite a USD1 drop in ARPU from USD4 to USD3 during 2013,
* Turkmenistan's state-owned mobile operator Altyn-Asyr has reported that its subscriber base has passed 3.7mn in 2013. This was up from 3mn in 2012 as a result of the company's network covering almost the entire area of Turkmenistan.
* Altel's LTE subscription base has risen from 30,000 connections in April 2013, to 110,000 by the end of December 2013.
* Kazakhstan's incumbent operator Kazakhtelecom posted revenues of KZT190.7bn (USD1.2bn) in 2013, up from KZT175.8bn (USD1.1bn) in 2012. However, the operator's net profit declined from KZT20bn (USD125.86mn) in 2012 to KZT19.7bn (USD123.97mn) in 2013. Its wholly owned mobile subsidiary Altel reported a 4G LTE subscriber base of 110,000 by end-2013. Altel's network was expanded to Karaganda, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Shymkent, Aktobe, Atyrau and Aktau in December 2013, following its launch in Astana and Almaty in December 2012.

Key Trends...

The Kazakhstan and Central Asia Telecommunications Report features Business Monitor International (BMI)'s independent industry forecasts on the future strength of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan's ICT market, covering the fixed-line, mobile and internet segments and analyses latest regulatory developments and corporate news, including investment activity, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and partnerships. Leading operators and manufacturers are fully profiled, highlighting their quarterly financial performance, capital expenditure plans and latest contracts.

BMI's Kazakhstan and Central Asia Telecommunications Report provides industry professionals and researchers, operators, equipment suppliers and vendors, corporate and financial services analysts and regulatory bodies with independent forecasts and competitive intelligence on the telecoms industry in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan.

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