Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Feb.2
By Demir Azizov- Trend:
National mobile operator of Uzbekistan, UzMobile (Uzbektelekom Mobile, a branch of Uzbektelecom JSC), will put GSM standard network into commercial operation in late March, 2015, the company told Trend Feb.2.
Mobile network of 4G standard will be put into commercial operation in Tashkent and Tashkent region, according to the company.
Currently, the operator conducts commissioning and testing of network equipment in the capital and the Uzbek province.
It was earlier reported that in February 2014, Uzbekistan decided to establish a national mobile operator taking Uzmobile's branch Uzbektelecom as a basis for the future operator.
It is expected to render GSM services using the LTE technologies.
At the initial stage, the network will include 1,020 base stations, 500 sets of microwave transmission equipment, switching stations and billing system to 2 million numbers.
In November 2014, Uzbektelecom signed a contract with the Chinese Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd for the supply of telecommunications equipment for the creation of GSM network of the national operator.
The contract worth $117.6 million is funded at the expense of the China Development Bank loans in the amount of $100 million and Uzbek Aloqabank loan of $17.6 million.
UzMobile subsidiary, which is a structural unit of the national telecom operator of Uzbekistan Uzbektelecom, was created in 2004. The company provides telecommunications services, including wireless access in CDMA-450 standard.
Currently, five companies operate in the market of mobile communication services: Unitel LLC (Beeline trademark), FE COSCOM LLC, FE RWC LLC (TM Perfectum Mobile) and Uzmobile branch of Uzbektelecom JSC.
