Uzbek mobile phones silent

TASHKENT - Anatolia News Agency

Authorities in Uzbekistan have suspended the operating license of Russian-owned mobile communications company MTS for 10 days as of July 17 after a series of technical violations.

The customers will retain their mobile phone numbers, said MTS in a written statement yesterday, adding that the company is making efforts to solve the problem as soon as possible. MTS subscribers have flocked to the retail offices of rival mobile operators in the Central Asian country to purchase new mobile phone numbers.

Officials last month admonished the locally registered owner of the MTS-Uzbekistan brand, Uzdunrobita, for poor service and using cell phone towers without proper authorization, according to The Associated Press. MTS-Uzbekistan’s licensing woes come as prosecutors are reportedly filing criminal cases against company officials on charges of fraud. Numerous foreign investors have reported incidents of harassment by state bodies and seizure of assets by business interests close to the ruling elite over recent years, AP said.