Azercell is an Azerbaijani
telecommunications
Telecommunication, often used in its plural form or abbreviated as telecom, is the transmission of information over a distance using electronic means, typically through cables, radio waves, or other communication technologies. These means of ...
company based in Baku. It is the largest
mobile network operator
A mobile network operator (MNO), also known as a mobile network provider, mobile network carrier, mobile , wireless service provider, wireless carrier, wireless operator, wireless telco, or cellular company, is a telecommunications provider of se ...
in Azerbaijan. The company is owned by the ruling
Aliyev family through offshore companies.
In 2008, state shares were transferred to the Aliyev family's companies at a massive discount, effectively costing Azerbaijan's people at least $600 million.
Company background
Azercell Telecom LLC was established in January 1996 as a joint venture between the Azerbaijan government and
Turkcell
Turkcell İletişim Hizmetleri A.Ş. (''lit. Turkcell Communication Services'') (, ) is the leading mobile phone operator of Turkey, based in Istanbul. The company has 39.3 million subscribers as of September 2021. In 2015, the company's number ...
, a large Turkish mobile operator.
In this arrangement, the Azerbaijan government owned 51% of the operator.
Azercell Telecom started its activities on 15 December 1996. Azercell become the second-largest taxpayer operating outside the country's oil sector.
In 2004,
TeliaSonera
Telia Company AB is a Swedish Multinational corporation, multinational telecommunications company and mobile network operator present in Sweden, Finland, Norway, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.
Telia also owns TV4 Media which includes TV4 in S ...
, a Swedish company, was involved in negotiations to privatize Azercell. The Azerbaijan government stepped in to block TeliaSonera from privatizing the state-owned company on its own. The government instructed TeliaSonera that Cenay Insaat (a Turkish company known for collaborating with the Aliyev regime) and an unknown "local partner" had to undertake the privatization. Shares of the company were transferred to the local partner, which investigative reporting revealed was registered to offshore companies owned by the family of Azerbaijan ruler Ilham Aliyev.
In 2018, Fintur Holdings, in which Telia had a 58.55 percent ownership, sold its stake in Azertel to Azerbaijan International Telecom LLC, which is owned by the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Services
4G
Azercell announced on 24 May 2012, the launch of services based on the
4G platform. Azercell's 4G network covers all of Baku city and nearby towns. The networks operate on 1800 MHz frequency.
MTS The second region where the 4G network got deployed, is the
Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic
The Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic (, ) is a landlocked country, landlocked Enclave and exclave, exclave of the Azerbaijan, Republic of Azerbaijan. The region covers Official portal of Nakhchivan Autonomous RepublicNakhchivan Autonomous Republi ...
.
Market share and coverage
51% of Azerbaijan's mobile market belongs to Azercell; while its geographical coverage constitutes 94.15% and population coverage is 98.70%.
See also
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Telecommunications in Azerbaijan
*
Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies (Azerbaijan)
*
List of Azerbaijani companies
References
External links
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{{Turkcell Group
Mobile phone companies of Azerbaijan
Azerbaijani brands
Companies based in Baku
Azerbaijani companies established in 1996
Technology companies established in 1996