Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 22
By Fikret Dolukhanov – Trend:
Digital Trust Fund for Support of Digital Economy Development of Uzbekistan, established in September 2018, will become the sole owner of Uzbekistan’s Universal Mobile Systems (UMS) mobile operator, Uzbek media reported referring to the presidential decree on Nov. 21.
Up until now, the 100-percent owner of UMS has been the Center for Radio Communications, Broadcasting and Television (CRCBT).
The decision, according to the document, has been made in order to “create conditions for the accelerated development of the digital economy, further improve the public administration system, and increase its accessibility and use of modern infrastructure”.
The National Agency for Project Management (NAPM) under the president and the Digital Trust Fund will have to attract foreign specialists and to develop and approve the concept of UMS development for 2019-2021 within two months.
The mobile operator will also receive the right (exclusive, as of now) of direct access to international telecommunications networks, including for IP-telephony, only for own commercial needs, without the right to provide services to other operators and providers.
UMS began operations on Dec. 1, 2014 as a joint venture of the Russian MTS (50.01 percent) and the CRCBT (49.99 percent) using the infrastructure owned earlier by Uzdunrobita, a subsidiary of MTS, the license of which was revoked in the Summer 2012. In August 2016, MTS sold its share in the company to CRCBT.
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