Mobile network operator Belarusian Telecommunications Network (BeST), which is 80%-owned by Turkish telecoms company Turkcell and trades under the banner life:), lost a net 600,000 subscribers in the first six months of this year, e-Belarus.org reports. The cellco closed out 2011 with a total of 1.8 million connections but after a tough first semester, it reported just 1.2 million customers at 30 June 2012 – including the loss of 500,000 lines in the April-June period alone.
According to TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database, BeST was registered in November 2004 and received licence No. 02140/0184183 to offer GSM services in the 900MHz and 1800MHz bands on 24 March 2005. The operator reported falling revenues in FY2011 as the worsening economy in the east European nation saw consumers spending less on phone calls and related services. BeST booked revenue of USD47.89 million last year, down from USD48,92 million in FY2010, while CAPEX was trimmed sharply to USD55.03 million from USD120.01 million previously.