Telecoms & IT

In 2012 the ICT sector as a whole posted total revenues of MNT650bn ($390m), up more than 17% from the previous years, according to the Information Technology, Post and Telecoms Authority. In the telecoms segment, the country’s four mobile operators are making plans for a considerable amount of capital expenditure in order to meet the needs of Mongolia’s rural population and to develop new higher-speed networks in Ulaanbaatar and a small number of other population centres. The country’s new foreign investment law has been widely praised and is expected to result in new interest from foreign investors. Mongolia’s reputation as a centre for ICT in Central Asia has risen considerably in recent years. On the World Economic Forum’s 2013 Networked Readiness Index, for example, the country was ranked 59th place out of 142 nations, up from 63rd place the prior year. With planned developments in mind, many local players expect to see increased levels of competition, potentially from international players. This chapter contains interviews with David Holliday, CEO, MobiCom; and N. Battulga, Executive Director, ITZone.