AZERCELL TELECOM JV - HIGH-TECH AND INNOVATIVE APPROACH

 

One of the key objectives of  Azercell Telecom JV is orientation to innovation and improvement of network and service quality. The company is implementing advanced technology in Azerbaijan's market, guided by growing demands of customers. Being an innovative company, Azercell Telecom JV increased its share in Azerbaijan's mobile communication market to more than 70%.

 

Innovative approach - MobilMail

Azercell Telecom's innovative technology enables creating new values for its customers. Azercell Telecom JV, first in Azerbaijan, starting August 15, 2007, introduced MobilMail service to its customers. This service enables Azercell's users receive and send messages from their mailboxes using their mobile phones.

"Our major goal is to be a company for Azerbaijan to take a pride in and our future activity will focus on this goal. We are the company, which loves innovation and always brings novelties to the market." - A. Halim Ates, the General Manager of the Azercell Telecom JV said.

MobilMail" is one of such innovations. It means that e-mails will enter to the subscribers' mobile phones directly as it happens with sms, The service enables the subscribers to check their email accounts, receive and send letters via mobile phones every minute without using any PC. Always taking care about its subscribers'needs, Azercell provided a permanent email account access for them. One of the privileges of this service is possibility of copying contact details (phone numbers, address and etc.) and calendar from the email account of the subscriber to the mobile phone. The service will be in use via GPRS. A subscriber should refer to the Azercell Customer Care office in order to activate MobilMail service.

MobilMail has two different editions depending on the user segments. They are MobilMail Korporativ (Enterprise edition) for the corporative segment and "Azercell MobilMail" (Internet edition) for all subscibers.

MobilMail Korporativ is available only for corporative subscribers of Azercell Telecom. Using this service the employees of a company will be able to receive emails sent to their work email accounts, on their mobile phones. To join this service the subscribers should refer to the Corporative group representative of "Azercell".

Azercell MobilMail has been launched for all subscribers. The postpaid and prepaid subscribers will be able to receive letters sent to their personal email accounts via their mobile phones. Through the MobilMail the subscribers will use all favorable conditions of e-mail. Using this service it's possible not only to read, but also respond the emails not depending on the server difference. The most popular in Azerbaijan email servers - gmail.com, mail.az, mail.ru, yandex.ru, rambler.ru and others have already been tested out.

Aiming its subscribers to keep up with the modern technologies, "Azercell" is to offer different discount tariff packages to ensure everybody's using the new service. The service user will be able to choose their preferred package. For example, the postpaid subscribers using "MobilMail" service will pay AZN 0, 70 per each 1Mb without any permanent monthly payment for GPRS/EDGE. The prepaid subscribers are to pay 1 unit per each 5 KB.

 

New service -DataKart

Azercell Telecom JV with its innovative technology offer to its postpaid subscribers a new service - Azercell DataKart. This service provides Azercell postpaid subscribers with a combination of speed, freedom and convenience. At home, at a client's office or waiting at the traffic jam, this service gives to customers fast, secure access to email, the web and company network from laptop, whenever they want it. Moreover, the DataKart application incorporates a powerful SMS editor and a viewer for reading SMS messages. So customer can send and receive SMS messages. Incoming and outgoing messages are listed in Outlook style directories.

In case of using GPRS/EDGE service not being connected to one of the Azercell DataKart tariff packages specified in table Standart tariff package tariffs will be applied 10 KB = 0,01 AZN (VAT exclusive). Charging step is at 10 KB for all service packages. In case of using MesajCELL and other SMS-based services the Standart tariff packages tariffs will be applied. Not used GPRS traffic of the current month will not be transferred to the next month.

 

Nice opportunity - Gizl?tCELL+

 

Taking into consideration its subscribers' wishes and in an effort to ensure their convenience, Azercell Telecom JV has designed GizlяtCell as a SOCLIR (Subscriber Option Calling Line Identification Restriction) service. So far, activating Azercell's "GizlяtCell" service the subscribers could restrict the outgoing calls. Azercell subscribers could seize the opportunity of different versions of this service and restrict outgoing calls for one and seven days. To apply for this service the subscribers should send a blank SMS to 9001 for one day service and to 9007 for a week (7 days) service.

Now Azercell  has designed more reasonable and more convenient variant for its subscribers. GizlяtCell+ enables the subscribers to restrict their outgoing calls for a month. In addition, now it is easier to activate this service. It is enough to send a blank SMS to 9030. This service costs only AZN 4 (excluding VAT) for postpaid subscribers and 1,000 units for SimSim subscribers.

One of the priorities of  GizlяtCell+ service is that an Azercell subscriber can set this service for its friends. It is enough to text this person's number to 9030 through SMS.

Now Azercell subscribers will be able to use GizlяtCell+ services at reasonable conditions not only for day or for a week, but also for a month. Offering its subscribers such a choice Azercell Telecom JV enables them to select one of the favorable services.

Azercell Telecom JV was the first company in Azerbaijan which presented SOCLIR service in the mobile communication sector.

 

New acquisitions

TeliaSonera AB, the leading telecommunications company in the Nordic and Baltic region, has on July 16, 2007, closed the MCT Corp. (MCT) acquisition announced on July 9. TeliaSonera acquired 100 percent of the shares in MCT, a US based company with majority controlling shareholdings in three Eurasian GSM operators in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan and a small minority interest in the leading GSM operator in Afghanistan, for an enterprise value of approximately SEK 2.0 billion (USD 300 million).

"This transaction underlines TeliaSonera's strategy to be the leading Eurasian mobile operator and strengthens our commitment and presence in the region. Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Afghanistan, with a combined population of approximately 67 million, growing economies and relatively low mobile penetration levels, provide an excellent growth opportunity for  TeliaSonera in Eurasia", says Tero Kivisaari, Head of TeliaSonera's business area Eurasia.

The four GSM operators are:

- Uzbek-American Joint Venture Coscom LLC is the third largest mobile operator in Uzbekistan, with 393,000 subscriptions and a market share of approximately 11 percent as of May 2007. Coscom's net sales in 2006 were USD 26 million and EBITDA USD 5.8 million. MCT has a 99.97 percent interest in "Coscom". Mobile penetration in Uzbekistan is about 13 percent.

CJSC Indigo- Tajikistan and CJSC Joint Venture Somoncom combined is the second largest mobile operation in Tajikistan, with 377,000 subscriptions and a market share of approximately 27 percent as of May 2007. The combined net sales in 2006 were USD 27 million and EBITDA USD 13.7 million. MCT has 60.0 percent interest in Indigo-Tajikistan and 59.4 percent interest in Somoncom. Mobile penetration in Tajikistan is about 20 percent.

Telecom Development Company Afghanistan Limited (Roshan) is the largest mobile operator in Afghanistan, with 1,300,000 subscriptions and a market share of approximately 50 percent as of May 2007. Roshan's net sales in 2006 were USD 191 million and EBITDA USD 66.5 million. MCT has a 12.25 percent interest in "Roshan". Mobile penetration in Afghanistan is about 8 percent.

TeliaSonera AB will consolidate the operations in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan as of the closing. The operation in Afghanistan will be reported as a financial investment.

Fintur Holdings B.V. is a partnership of  TeliaSonera AB (with a 58,55 percent stake) and Turkcell (41,45 percent) and has been managing the operations of TeliaSonera Group companies in Eurasia since 1996. Fintur Holdings B.V. is the majority shareholder of the leading mobile operators in Azerbaijan (Azercel), Georgia (Geocell), Kazakhstan (K'Cell) and Moldova (Moldcell).