The MTS carrier said it had been notified that its license would be suspended effective on Tuesday (21 December 2010).
Its Turkmen branch MTS-Turkmenistan owns 80% of the country's 2.5 million mobile phone contracts, making it a major presence in the five-million-strong Central Asian state, where communications have been poor for decades.
MTS said the state offered no explanation for its decision but that the move came amid Turkmen efforts to win a 50-% stake in MTS-Turkmenistan.
"The Turkmen ministry of communications is trying to put pressure on MTS," a company spokesman said. The Turkmen ministry refused to comment on the allegations.
MTS has been present in the isolated former Soviet republic since 2005, also having businesses outside Russia in Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Armenia and Belarus.
Under its current contract, besides taxes, MTS-Turkmenistan pays 20% of its profits to local government coffers.
Source: AFP
For more than two decades, I-Net Bridge has been one of South Africa’s preferred electronic providers of innovative solutions, data of the highest calibre, reliable platforms and excellent supporting systems. Our products include workstations, web applications and data feeds packaged with in-depth news and powerful analytical tools empowering clients to make meaningful decisions.
We pride ourselves on our wide variety of in-house skills, encompassing multiple platforms and applications. These skills enable us to not only function as a first class facility, but also design, implement and support all our client needs at a level that confirms I-Net Bridge a leader in its field.
Go to: http://www.inet.co.za
