Company profiles
Currently there are three major mobile phone operators in Azerbaijan: Azercell, Bakcell and Nar (Brand of Azerfon). They all offer 2G, 3G and 4G services.
Bakcell, the first mobile company, was established in 1995; Azercell, the largest mobile company was established two years late and is largely owned by the Swedish and Finnish firm TeliaSonera; Azerfon, the newest company founded in 2007, operates the brand Nar (meaning pomegranate in Azerbaijani) which was the first to be awarded a 3G license. The company has ties with the Aliyev family (the family of the nation’s current President).
Other mobile phone operators include the state-owned Aztelekom, AzEuroTel, Caspian Telecom and Catel Eurasiacom. As of June 2014, approximately 95 percent of all main lines are digitised and provide excellent quality services for the region. The remaining 5 percent is being modernised.
Other companies offering various telecommunication services are Avirtel Ltd, The branch of the American Telecommunication Company in Azerbaijan, which provides telecommunication services across the region; AzStarNet, one of the leading network operators and the Internet service providers; CATEL offering wireless connection services to WLL telephone subscribers in FH-CDMA standards; Intelcom, offering system integration in the telecommunication area; Nessco, a leading global provider of communication solutions and services to businesses worldwide.