Interfax
October 14

The number of cellular subscribers in Uzbekistan increased last year by 33.8% on the previous year to 128,000, according to the Agency for Communication and Information.

This increased by about 15.3% in the first quarter of this year or by 19,599 to top 147,500 subscribers. More than 40,500 or 27.5% of them were residents of the regions (outside Tashkent and Tashkent region).

The number of regional subscribers in 2001 increased by 60.8% (12,526) and by 22.6% in the first quarter of this year (by 7,489).

At the start of July 2002 the number of subscribers had increased by 43.9% from a year earlier to 162,100.

According to the Ministry for Economics and Statistics, the earnings of cellular companies in the first half of the year totaled 31.1 billion sum, 60% more than in the same period last year.

The material base that defines the territory covered by cellular service included 229 base and repeater stations at the end of the first quarter, including 77 or 33.6% in the regions.

Tashkent and Tashkent region have the most subscribers, followed by Samarkand, Fergana, Bukhara, Anidzhan, Namangan, Navoi, Kashkadarya, Zhizzakh, Syrdarya, Surkhandarya, and Khorezm regions and the republic of Karakalpakstan.

Cellular communications have developed the most in Tashkent region where all six operators work, while three work only in Tashkent. Tashkent and the region have more than 107,000 subscribers, or two thirds of the total, that are served by 157 bas stations. The number of subscribers in this region has increased by 33.6% since the start of 2001 and the number of base stations increased by 39. The number of subscribers increased as Daewoo Unitel, Coscom, and RWC grew (by 15,800 or 72.4%, 8,000 or 79.4%, and 4,625 or 16%, respectively). Growth was slow at Uzdunrobita and Uzmacom (3,750 or 14% and 570 or 6%, respectively). The number of Buztel subscribers dropped by about 800. By the close of the first quarter the share of cellular subscribers in Tashkent and Tashkent region had shrunk to 72.5% from 78.5% at the start of 2001.

Samarkand is second in the number of subscribers. Three companies serve 12,600 subscribers and operate 16 base stations in the region. Uzdunrobita is the leader in Samarkand region, however considering Daewoo Unitel's rapid expansion since entering the region in 2001 to accumulate more than 2,250 subscribers and open six base stations, and Coscom's expansion, Uzdunrobita's share in the region will probably drop considerably.

Three companies operate in Fergana, Bukhara, Andizhan, and Namangan regions serving 18,600 subscribers. The region has 33 base stations. Daewoo Unitel was the most active of the three in the first quarter of 2002, increasing the number of subscribers by several times. Coscom was also active in these regions.

Coscom and Uzdunrobita operate in Navoi, Zhizzakh, and Syrdarya regions. They have 5,200 subscribers and 13 base stations there. Uzdunrobita recently lost 50 subscribers in Navoi region and this could become a steady trend.

Uzdunrobita was still the monopoly in Kashkadarya, Surkhandarya, and Khorezm regions and the republic of Karakalpakstan at the close of the first quarter, but Daewoo Unitel and Coscom will expand rapidly in these regions by the end of this year. The cellular market in Uzbekistan is being redistributed as new operators enter new regions. This redistribution of market share is mainly the result of new subscribers, as the loss of clients by the companies is insignificant.

The number of regional subscribers has been increasing the fastest lately. The increase of 60.8% is nearly double the increase in subscribers nationwide, at 33.8%. In spite of this Tashkent and Tashkent region still have the most subscribers.

Uzdunrobita's lead is weakening. The company has been unable to compete with other operators in the regions and Daewoo Unitel has overtaken Uzdunrobita in terms of the number of subscribers.

Coscom is also growing fast. These companies are expanding in two main areas. Daewoo Unitel and Coscom are expanding in regional centers and other big cities, and Coscom is focusing on big corporate clients in industrial regions (Navoi and Bukhara regions).

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