On July 1, 2024, the Secretariat of the Investment Council under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic hosted an advisory meeting to address issues raised by the Association of Telecom Operators of the Kyrgyz Republic. The primary topics discussed were removing fiber optic cables and increasing rental rates for poles owned by municipal enterprises "Bishkeksvet" and "Bishkek Trolleybus Department."

Members of the Association of Telecom Operators expressed concern over the significant and multiple increases in rental rates for using the poles of "Bishkeksvet" and the "Bishkek Trolleybus Department." The rental cost reportedly increased from KGS 37-50 to KGS 200 pole per month. The Association noted that this increase would inevitably lead to higher operating costs for telecom operators, which could, in turn, result in higher service fees for consumers.

The meeting also addressed issues related to removing fiber optic cables, which could cause service interruptions and increased costs for operators.

Participants of the Meeting:

• Vice-Mayor of Bishkek - Azamat Kadyrbekov
• Chief of Staff of the Bishkek City Hall - Kanat Sagynbayev
• Deputy Director of the Department of Municipal Property Management of the Bishkek City Hall - Aliya Koichukeeva
• Executive Director of the Association of Telecom Operators - Salavat Ormoshev
• Representatives of the Association of Telecom Operators - Ulan Dootaliev and Eldar Davletov
• Representatives of member companies of the Association of Telecom Operators:
• Director of Network Construction at Aknet LLC - M.S. Sultanaliyev
• Deputy Director of Operations at Megaline LLC - E.A. Makhmudov
• Head of Technical Accounting Service at Megaline LLC - D.A. Karalkov
• General Director of Saima Telecom JSC - B.Zh. Kasymbekov
• Technical Director of Saima Telecom JSC - T.V. Borisov
• Lawyer at Saima Telecom JSC - V.S. Denisov

During the meeting, a constructive dialogue was held, discussing potential solutions and ways to optimize pole rental tariffs. As a result of the discussions, it was decided to create an advisory group consisting of representatives from the Association of Telecom Operators, the Bishkek City Hall, and other relevant bodies, with five members from each side. Additionally, the Bishkek City Hall committed to providing a semi-annual work plan for cable line removal. The parties also agreed on the need to resolve the issues raised as quickly as possible.

The Investment Council Secretariat expressed its readiness to assist in resolving the issues. We thank all participants for their active involvement and fruitful discussion. We hope that these joint efforts will help find an optimal solution.