Altyn Asyr (mobile operator)
{{Short description|Turkmen state owned mobile operator}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Altyn Asyr
| logo =
| type = State-owned closed joint-stock company (CJSC)
| trade_name = TM CELL
| foundation = 2004
| key_people =
| products =
| industry = Mobile telecommunications
| revenue =
| net_income =
| parent = Turkmentelecom
| hq_location_city = Ashgabat
| hq_location_country = Turkmenistan
| num_employees =
| homepage = [http://www.tmcell.tm tmcell.tm]
}}
Altyn Asyr CJSC (Turkmen: {{lang|tk|"Altyn Asyr" ýapyk görnüşli paýdarlar jemgyýeti}}, {{Literal translation|Golden Age}}) is the state owned mobile operator in Turkmenistan. The company uses the TM CELL brand as its trade name. In September 2017, it had more than 5,5 million subscribers.{{Cite web |url=http://tmcell.tm/en-US/news/three-and-half-million |title=We are three and half million of people |access-date=2013-09-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016071552/http://tmcell.tm/en-US/news/three-and-half-million |archive-date=2013-10-16 |url-status=dead }} It is headquartered in Ashgabat.
The company was founded through official decree by Turkmenistan leader Saparmurat Niyazov in 2004.{{Cite web |last1=Myatiev |first1=Ruslan |last2=Shikhmuradov |first2=Bayram |last3=Kupfer |first3=Matthew |title=One Family's 'Golden Age': President's Relative Controls Turkmenistan's Only Mobile Operator |url=https://www.occrp.org/en/investigations/one-familys-golden-age-presidents-relative-controls-turkmenistans-only-mobile-operator |access-date=2022-04-02 |website=OCCRP |language=en}}
The company has a monopoly in the mobile market in Turkmenistan. The company is headed by Shyhmyrat Shaharliyev, a member of Turkmen president Serdar Berdimuhamedov's family. The shareholders of the company are not publicly disclosed. Telecommunications are closely monitored and censored in Turkmenistan. Despite considerable investment by Turkmen authoritarian regime into the company, the services provided by the company have been described as poor.
History
The company was established in August 2004. In the same year, the company became a member of the GSMA, where it was registered under the number 438 02. The operator became a structural unit of the Turkmentelecom, which in turn is fully owned by the Ministry of Communications.{{cite web|url=http://www.turkmenistan.ru/en/node/3969|title=Turkmenistan introduces national GSM cellular communication network|publisher=|access-date=2013-04-06|archive-date=2013-10-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017174714/http://www.turkmenistan.ru/en/node/3969|url-status=dead}}{{cite web| url = http://www.turkmenistan.ru/ru/node/16814| title = Туркменистан приступил к внедрению национальной системы сотовой связи стандарта GSM|website=www.turkmenistan.ru}}
The equipment for the initial 50,000 subscribers was supplied by Siemens. Equipment for 25 thousand numbers has been installed in Ashgabat (including Archabil District), Ahal Region (Ak Bugday, Ruhabat, Geoktepe Districts) and Abadan. The rest of the equipment with a total capacity of 25 thousand numbers was installed in the regional centers of Turkmenistan.
In 2010, Altyn Asyr was the first in Turkmenistan to launch a 3G network of the UMTS standard. In April 2010, the number of abonents of Altyn Asyr reached 500 thousand.{{cite web| url = http://www.turkmenistan.ru/ru/node/28097| title = Число абонентов оператора сотовой связи "Алтын Асыр" достигло полумиллиона|website=www.turkmenistan.ru}}
A new administrative building was inaugurated in October 2012. The four storey building accommodates 350 staff members.{{cite web|url=http://www.turkmenistan.ru/en/articles/16792.html/|title=Administrative building of national cellular operator "Altyn Asyr" inaugurated in Ashgabat|website=www.turkmenistan.ru|access-date=2013-04-06|archive-date=2013-10-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131014183659/http://www.turkmenistan.ru/en/articles/16792.html/|url-status=dead}}
Since 2012, the company has been providing international roaming services in foreign countries.
On September 18, 2013, the operator launched LTE.{{cite web|url=http://tmcell.tm/en-US/news-lte-start|title=TMCELL starts to connect the subscribers to the LTE network|publisher=|access-date=2013-09-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921232443/http://tmcell.tm/en-US/news-lte-start|archive-date=2013-09-21|url-status=dead}} At the end of September 2014, the company introduced VoLTE.{{cite web |url=http://www.telecompaper.com/news/altyn-asyr-introduces-voice-over-lte--1039622 |title=Altyn Asyr introduces voice over LTE |publisher=Telecompaper |date=2014-09-29 |accessdate=2014-09-29}}
In August 2024, the company stopped issuing new SIM cards, citing their absence and the lack of available numbers. Previously, queues to obtain a number stretched out for a year. Using SIM cards from operators from neighboring republics is prohibited in Turkmenistan.{{Cite news|url=https://www.azathabar.com/a/asgabatda-mobil-telefonlary-ucin-sim-kartalaryn-satuwy-bes-edildi/33076887.html|title=Aşgabatda mobil telefonlary üçin SIM kartalaryň satuwy bes edildi|language=tk|date=2024-08-13|website=Azatlyk Radiosy}}
Altyn Asyr's main competitor in Turkmenistan is the Ashgabat City Telephone Network.
Operations
Altyn Asyr in Turkmenistan is a mobile network operator providing services under the standards GSM, 3G and LTE. Apart from cellular network, the company also offers local telephone service,{{cite web| url = https://tmcell.tm/MobileConnection/Tariffs/korporatiw| title = TMCELL Ýapyk görnüşli paýdarlar jemgyýeti}} broadband, and mobile television.{{cite web| url = https://tmcell.tm/Services/Service/MobileTV| title = TMCELL Ýapyk görnüşli paýdarlar jemgyýeti}}
= eSIM =
In November 2023 Altyn Asyr was the first in Turkmenistan to present an opportunity to switch over to eSIM.https://turkmenportal.com/en/blog/69995/kak-podklyuchit-virtualnyi-nomer-tm-cell-v-turkmenistane-i-dlya-chego-on-nuzhenhttps://turkmenportal.com/en/blog/69676/tmcell-altyn-asyr-predstavil-turkmenistancam-novuyu-uslugu--virtualnye-nomera{{cite web | url=https://turkmenistan.gov.tm/ru/post/77362/novaya-usluga-ot-tm-cell-virtualnye-sim-karty | title=Новая услуга от TM-CELL: виртуальные сим-карты | date=9 November 2023 }}
= Subscriber numbers =
Altyn Asyr has 6 network codes: 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 71. Telephone numbers in the international format are +99361xxxxxx, +99362xxxxxx, +99363xxxxxx, +99364xxxxxx, +99365xxxxxx and +99371xxxxxx.
Subscribers benefit from core services (voice communications, data transfer, SMS, MMS, voice mail, etc.)
Number of subscribers
Sponsorship
The operator Altyn Asyr is a shirt sponsor of the football club Altyn Asyr FK since its inception. TM CELL's name is located on the front of the team's shirts.{{cite web| url = https://www.the-afc.com/competitions/afc-cup/archive/2019/latest/news/inter-zone-s-final-2nd-leg-preview-altyn-asyr-fc-2-v-3-hanoi-fc| title = the-afc.com}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Commons category-inline}}
- {{Official website|http://www.tmcell.tm/ }}
{{Turkmenistan mobile phone companies}}
Category:Mobile phone companies of Turkmenistan
Category:Telecommunications companies of Turkmenistan
Category:Companies based in Ashgabat