Mobile rates for Altel and Tele2 customers in Kazakhstan are off-limits to government scrutiny until the end of 2026, following a court decision tied to an international agreement with Qatar.
Mobile Telecom-Service (MTS), which owns the Altel and Tele2 brands, won its case in the Almaty Court of Appeal, which canceled an antitrust probe into alleged overpricing for SMS notification services. Case details were published on the Supreme Court’s Office.sud.kz portal.
The investigation was dropped under a Kazakhstan-Qatar agreement that bars authorities from interfering in MTS operations or reviewing its rates until 2027.
In late 2023, the Specialized Interdistrict Court of Almaty partially granted MTS’s request to halt the investigation. In May 2024, the appellate court upheld that decision. But about a year later, the Supreme Court overturned the appeal, citing an incomplete examination of the facts, and ordered a retrial with a new panel of judges.
On March 20, 2024, Kazakhstan and Qatar signed a long-term strategic partnership agreement, ratified Oct. 30, 2024. An appendix to it stated that Qatar’s Power International Holding (PIH) would acquire 100% of MTS from Kazakhtelecom, the state telecom operator.
Under the deal, Kazakhstan agreed to:
- Avoid interfering in MTS’s commercial or operational activities through the end of 2026.
- Refrain from antitrust or other investigations that could lead to price controls or communication quality requirements.
The appellate court ruled that the Agency for Protection and Development of Competition’s order to launch the investigation violated the terms of the international agreement and must be canceled in full.
In January 2025, PIH completed its $1.1 billion acquisition of MTS from Kazakhtelecom.
