Azerbaijan, Baku / Trend corr. S.Babayeva / Mahbuba Hajizadeh, the representative of CATEL joint company on sales, stated during exhibition of CeBiTCiS held on 9 July that the number of subscribers of the Azerbaijani-American CATEL company, rendering communication services on CDMA standards made up 10,000. The total quantity of subscribers made up 25,000.
According to Hajizadeh, the new tariff package Barabar.az introduced under FONEX brand is popular amongst subscribers.
Fonex envisages a new tariff plan with calls to all mobile operators of Azerbaijan at a cost of AZN 0.10/min. The tariff plan does not include subscriber payment
Subscribers may buy mobile phones which support CDMA standards to use Catel service. The price for such phones is from AZN 80 to AZN 500.
Sadig Humbatov, the head of the company, has stated that CATEL has considered the possibility of providing CDMA standard mobile phones independently. Presently, there are about 60 types of CDMA mobile phones in the market in Azerbaijan.
CATEL was founded in 1997 with the official opening of the company being held in 1999.
Being one of the local mobile operators, CATEL provides services on wireless communications to 'FH-CDMA' standard for subscribers WLL (Wireless access of subscribers), as well as '3G CDMA' standard for subscribers of mobile communications. During the last few years, CATEL has expanded its network in the Apsheron Peninsula and in regions of the country.
Since August 2004 CATEL for the first time in Azerbaijan introduced third generation 'CDMA 2000 1x'mobile equipment on the basis of the Chinese company equipment 'Huawei'. This equipment was developed by the United States 'Qualcomm' company.
In 2006 CATEL was registered by the Azerbaijani Communication and Information Technology Ministry to provide services of mobile communications of CDMA2000 standard.