New article in Business Week. ASTEL: from a satellite operator to a communications supermarket

ASTEL, one of the largest private telecommunications operators in Kazakhstan, is changing its approach to work. Possessing the largest satellite communications network. Responding to the needs of the market, ASTEL,is rebuilding its business. From a satellite communications operator, the company is turning into a universal player in the telecommunications market, which can flexibly respond to any client's requests, offering optimal solutions. Until recently, the main asset of any communications operator was considered to have its own developed infrastructure and communication channels. However, the same factor can also be a weak point - the company becomes a hostage to its network: the client receives not the solution that he needs, but the one that the operator has. As a result, the client is forced to adapt to the capabilities of the operator.

 

However, this situation is fundamentally wrong, especially since the needs of customers with the development and complication of their business processes increase, and they need the most flexible solutions. Realizing this, ASTEL has taken a course to expand the range of services offered. The main obstacle in the implementation of the new strategy was the lack of ASTEL's own ground infrastructure - fiber-optic backbones. But the company turned this disadvantage into a competitive advantage. ASTEL began to enter into partnership agreements with operators that own developed fiber-optic networks, such as KazTransCom, TransTelecom (the length of the fiber-optic network is more than 6 thousand km). The key one was the partnership agreement concluded on July 29, 2011 with Kazakhtelecom JSC, which owns the largest ground infrastructure in Kazakhstan. As a result, ASTEL provided its customers with maximum flexibility in solving data transmission problems: now the company can offer not only the largest satellite communication network in Kazakhstan, consisting of more than 2 thousand base stations operating on five communication satellites, but also access to the largest ground infrastructures all major market players. And the colossal experience and engineering expertise in the field of telecommunications, accumulated by ASTEL specialists for almost 20 years of work, allows the company to solve the most difficult problems in the field of communications: from network design and equipment supply, to implementation, commissioning and training of customer's personnel.

 

As a reminder, ASTEL has the largest projects on a national scale: building networks for the Ministry of Defense, the Customs Service, the State Pension Payment Center (SCVP), etc., as well as many projects for the largest banks, oil companies, national corporations. ASTEL clients have several additional benefits. Firstly, it is an opportunity to receive a wider range of services. Secondly, increasing the reliability of data transmission networks due to the reservation of satellite channels by terrestrial ones, and vice versa. Thirdly, this is a reduction in costs, since the client will receive an optimal cost solution.

 

Thus, ASTEL has strengthened its reputation as a company that is primarily focused on the needs of the client. And the presence of nineteen regional departments with teams staffed with system administrators, equipment and transport, allows the company to quickly provide customers with quality service in any region of Kazakhstan, regardless of geographic location. And wherever the client is, he will always be offered many design solutions to ensure high quality communication with the lowest cost and quick installation. The extensive capabilities of ASTEL logically result in such a demanded service as telecommunications outsourcing.

 

Business requirements for network reliability are growing rapidly, and it becomes ineffective for companies in the energy, mining and public sectors to maintain a staff of their own specialists who ensure the operability of the telecommunications infrastructure. Such a department will either require unreasonably high costs, or will not provide the necessary speed of response of technical support on the ground, flexibility and application of best practices in the implemented solutions. ASTEL initially possesses all the necessary resources and expertise, and will be able to provide a high level of service quality at a reasonable price. Now, no matter what task in the field of communication a client turns to ASTEL, he will never hear "no": ASTEL implements any solution. And where the operator does not have enough infrastructure, partner communication channels will be used. At the same time, thanks to the rich experience and professionalism of the ASTEL team, the integration of various infrastructures will be carried out imperceptibly for the client - he will simply receive a solution to his problems from one source, from a single supplier. After all, ASTEL can not only develop a network infrastructure from scratch, but also carry out an examination of the existing client network, identify its weak points and, if necessary, carry out modernization.

 

Equipment delivery will not be a problem either, since ASTEL is a distributor of leading network equipment manufacturers. In addition, the company's specialists will undertake further maintenance of all telecommunications equipment, and, if necessary, the customer's personnel will be trained. This approach can be compared to sewing a suit: you tell the tailor what suit you need, they take measurements from you, then a couple of fittings, and you get a turnkey solution, created especially for you, taking into account all your features. You do not need to buy fabric and buttons separately, order a sewing pattern and sewing services separately - you just come to the atelier. ASTEL is such a company in the field of telecommunications.