Russian operator MegaFon has registered a representative office in Kyrgyzstan, announcing in a press release that the Bishkek-based office will begin work in October, focusing initially on implementing digital projects for business and government clients. MegaFon highlights that its existing portfolio includes a number of large projects for the digitalisation of industry, housing and communal services, transport infrastructure, the social sector, medicine and the mining industry, involving technologies such as NB-IoT, Private LTE and fixed internet.
MegaFon is planning a number of pilot projects in Kyrgyzstan by the end of the year, in various sectors including ‘urban improvement and transport safety’ and industrial production process digitalisation. In existing project examples, the company notes that its MegaFon Ecology platform is used in the Safe City eco-monitoring systems in several Russian cities, while a digital air monitoring system has been implemented in Uzbekistan and Private LTE/IoT solutions have been provided to mining and processing plants, iron/steel works and other industrial sites.
Regarding the group’s existing activities in Central Asia, TeleGeography’s GlobalComms Database notes that in September 2021 MegaFon and its parent USM Telecom completed the purchase of a majority stake in Uzbekistan’s mobile market leader Ucell via the formation of a joint venture digital solutions company, Digital Holding, adding to MegaFon’s presence in neighbouring Tajikistan where it controls a 75% stake in cellco/fixed broadband operator TT Mobile, trading under the MegaFon brand.