Trans — Fibre — Optic Trunk Line
28.10.2007
Автор: Roman Kazimirsky
| This is not a secret that at the moment the global market of telecommunication services is quite able to compete with any economic sector of the most developed countries by turnovers and funds employed in it. Mr. Andrey Vassilievich Khan, the First Deputy General Director of the JSC «KazTransCom», will inform how things are progressing in this services market segment. What, in your view, is the situation in the telecommunication services market in Kazakhstan? If we take our country as a whole,the market here is quite competitive- at the moment, both large-scale and small-size players are present in the market, which provide their clients with various services, starting from satellite communication and finishing with the elementary access to the Internet. Nevertheless, the leading positions are occupied by the operators possessing the access to their own fiber-optic trunk lines. In separate cities the situation differs just a little from that taken in the Republic at large — quite a large number of operators offer their clients a whole variety of services. However, a significant shortcoming is common to some companies and should be noted: rendering a wide range of services, they cover a very small market segment — either regarding potential customers or applied technologies. As for us, we are covering the entire territory of Kazakhstan, and accordingly, have the access to international gates, and this implies a sufficiently cheap traffic — without any intermediary surcharges. FOOTNOTE: It is perfectly clear that the companies engaged in the oil sector set quite high requirements to operators, and we are capable of complying with them. To what extent do the Kazakhstan companies functioning in the sphere of telecommunications match the level of their Western counterparts? First of all, the national companies do not develop outside Kazakhstan; therefore, this comparison is not quite correct. If to analyze the situation inside Kazakhstan, our companies are sufficiently competitive. The fact that the dominating position is occupied by the national operator, but not by international corporations, conveys a great deal. It is reasonable to assume that the «KazTransCom» company provides its clients with not only the standard customer's package in the sphere of rendering telecommunications services, but also with unique services over the territory of Kazakhstan. Could you, please, get our readers familiarized with them, or is it a commercial secret? No secrets at all, we are absolutely transparent. However, today it is not practically possible to find a really unique service in Kazakhstan, having no its analogues, because the choice is quite various, and the clients' requirements facilitate continuous improvement and expansion of the service package. If to take the direction that is being most perspective at the moment, it is undoubtedly the IT-technologies. If several years ago the client required a comparatively narrow range of services, today the situation has significantly changed — it is not only the Internet and telephony, but all kinds of multimedia applications as well. Besides, every client demands an individual approach provided with a wide range of services rendered. IT-technologies allow performing the first, second and third. Nevertheless, I believe that «Kaz-TransCom» is an indisputable leader in servicing its customers. Communication nodes of our company are placed every two hundred kilometers that allows reducing the time of reacting on damage up to three hours, and the time of damage detection — up to thirty minutes. We are equipped with special mobile labs capable of visiting the accident scene within the shortest possible time limit and repairing a fault of any complexity. As well, those mobile labs are quite successfully engaged in providing the mobile communication while accidents happened on oil-and-gas pipelines. As far as I know, this type of service does not have any analogues on the territory of Kazakhstan. Our largest customers are, first of all, oil companies — either domestic or representatives of foreign corporations.It is quite clear that the companies working in this sector set high requirements to operators, and we are able to meet these requirements. At that, we should not forget about geography. «KazTransCom» is one of the few companies in Kazakhstan whose activities reach out all areas of the country. This significantly simplifies rendering of our services to any client as fast as possible and without additional expenses. FOOTNOTE: Communication nodes are placed by «KazTransCom» every two hundred kilometres that allows reducing the time of reacting on damage up to three hours, and the time of damage detection — up to thirty minutes. From the information placed on your company site, one could make a conclusion that you pay special attention to professional safety and health of your employees, as well as to the environment protection. Is this the official position of the company or up-to-date reality requirement? Both. First of all, we endeavor to comply with the international safety standards, and this is a kind of the company's position. Besides, this contributes to the additional motivation of employees — each staff-member receives a uniform specific to the job performed by him, passes training to be in line with the occupied position. Furthermore, our client should be positive that he will be visited by a properly prepared and instructed employee. The same could be said about environmental protection. We are responsible both for the rendered services quality and nature preservation. In my view, the safety of our employees and environment state are tightly bound and cannot be considered separately from each other. As far as I am informed, an in-house corporate training center has been established at «KazTransCom». Is a shortage of specialists observed in Kazakhstan in the sphere of telecommunications, or is your company aimed at upbringing your own generation of employees? Really, today the acute shortage of specialists can be observed in our sphere. In our turn, we use the upto- date technologies. That is why the top management of the company has made a decision to establish such a center for providing the working employees with an opportunity to improve their skills, and young specialists — to reach the required level. Either employees of the Head Office who passed the special training, or invited teachers and specialists representing manufacturers of the software and equipment — are acting as instructors in our training center. We are striving to raise the «on-site» generation of our company's employees, encourage them in every possible way and promote their professional and career growth. FOOTNOTE: In the year 2004 the revenues of the telecommunication industry in Kazakhstan totaled USD 1.11 billion, and in 2005 this indicator reached USD 1.63 billion. In 2006, the telecommunications market profitability index was fixed at the mark USD 2.1 billion. Within the current year, the volume of communication services rendered has grown for 32.1% as compared to the same period of the last year. What is your forecast for the nearest several years, and what in your view the way of telecommunication services market development in Kazakhstan? I believe that the market will use ITtechnologies more and more. Higher rates, a wider range of services provided — all these are demands of the reality. Besides, multimedia technologies will be applied more actively year by year. As well, a constantly growing interest will be displayed towards the transit traffic between Europe and Asia, and a favorable geographic location of Kazakhstan will contribute to that. | |  Andrey Vassilievich Khan At present — the First Deputy General Director of the JSC «KazTransCom» Education: Taganrog State Radio-Technical University named after V. D. Kalmykov. Passed the courses: «Credit Letters» and «Trade Financing» at KIMEP, Kazakhstan. Passed the courses: «Corporate Management and Finance» at RCI Consultancy Ltd., Paris, France. Started his labor activities from the position of the Head of the Department for payments and reporting at the Regional Treasury Board (Budget Bank), then successively worked as the Deputy Director at the firm «LIN», Director of the Financial Department at the JSC «KazTransCom», Deputy General Director for Economy and Finance at the JSC «KazTransCom». At present, Mr. Andrey Khan's title is the First Deputy General Director of the JSC «KazTransCom». |
Автор: Roman Kazimirsky