A1 Belarus
Unitary enterprise A1 is the largest private telecom, ICT & content service provider in Belarus. The company provides GSM 900/1800, UMTS and 4G services. A1 is the second-largest mobile network operator in Belarus. A1 also provides ADSL, Ethernet and GPON Internet access services in all regional centers of Belarus, as well as in Babruysk, Zhlobin, Rechytsa, Svyetlahorsk and Dobrush, and IPTV digital television services under the VOKA brand. Until August 2019, the company conducted operations under the brand name velcom.
History
The company began commercial operations to provide mobile communications services and sell mobile communications devices on 16 April 1999 under the brand name JV LLC Mobile digital communication, and became the first GSM carrier in Belarus.Ten base stations had been launched by the time commercial operations started. By the summer of 2000, all regional cities of Belarus had been connected to the network. Mobile communications services were available on the Minsk-Brest-Orša highway and in settlements along the road. Since 23 April 2007, mobile communications have been available to 100% of Belarus's urban population. In April 2019, the operator launched the first GSM network in the Polesye State Radiation-Ecological Reserve.
On 15 March 2001, the operator subscribers were enabled to send and receive texts, and in 2005, Multimedia Messaging Service became available.
On 2 June 2003, the carrier launched the GPRS service. In December 2005, EDGE technology became available in three regions of Belarus.
On 30 March 2006, the company became the country's first carrier to start testing the third generation of wireless mobile telecommunications technology. The 3G network was rolled out in only 27 days. The commercial operation of the 3G network in Minsk and Homieĺ started on 17 March 2010. In February 2016, the company became the country's first carrier to launch a 3G network in the 900 MHz band, and in May 2019, it further improved the capacity of its 3G network being the first operator to add a fourth RF carrier in the 2100 MHz band to its base stations.
In November 2007, the company became part of A1 Group as a result of the acquisition of 70% and then the remaining 30% of shares. Starting in June 2019, A1 subscribers will be able to use the Internet at domestic prices in the networks of the A1 Group operators.
In May 2008, the company had a rebranding campaign, changing its logo and name to Unitary enterprise velcom.
In May 2009, the carrier signed an exclusive agreement with LLC JV BelCel on the provision of CDMA2000 broadband Internet access services. The services were provided up until 16 May 2013.
In 2014, VOKA digital television was launched, construction of the company's proprietary data center began and the official online store was unveiled. In May, 2020 the company expanded online trade chains and opened the first online shop.
In 2017, the company was licensed to commercially launch Belarus's first Narrow Band Internet of Things network.
Since April 2018, velcom subscribers have benefited from making Wi-Fi calls using the VoWiFi technology. In December 2019, А1 was the first in the country to implement the VoLTE technology.
In the summer of 2018, velcom in partnership with JSC Reshenie Bank and Visa international payment system launched the virtual V-BANKING card to pay for a broad range of services. In November 2020 А1 and Visa entered into a Strategic Partnership Agreement in order to develop digital financial services in the country, and to extend financial facilities of А1 banking application.
On 21 March 2019, A1 started to provide data services using 4G technology. By the end of 2019, 4G network has become available to A1 subscribers in all major cities in the 1800 MHz band. In December 2019, the company announced about three-year strategic partnership with infrastructure operator beCloud aiming to develop 4G mobile communications standard in Belarus. Starting from 2020, A1 will provide its infrastructure for base stations, as well as transport network based on hybrid communications lines, radio relays and fibre optic lines to make 4G network in the 800 MHz band available in rural areas. From August 2020 to March 2022, due to a new radio-frequency band, 4G network coverage expanded up: in Gomel Region to 96.4% in Mogilev Region to 81%, in Minsk Region to 89%, in Vitebsk Region to 75%, in Brest region to 67%, in Grodno region. In November 2022, A1 began using the new 2600 MHz frequency range for about 1.5 thousand LTE base stations of the infrastructure operator beCloud.
On 8 April 2019, the company announced a rebranding campaign. It had been using the dual brand velcom | A1 in communications between April and August 2019. The single brand A1 is used since 12 August 2019.
In April 2019, the company started providing free Wi-Fi Internet access in 18 electric trains of Belarusian Railway.
From April to May 2019 А1 provided mobile communication for all tunnels of the Maskoŭskaja and Aŭtazavodskaja lines of Minsk Metro, in November 2020 the communication became available on Zelenoluzhskaya line. As of December 2024, A1 has provided mobile communications at stations on the third line of the Minsk Metro.
On 12 August 2019, the company launched virtual eSIM cards and in the same November gave opportunity to transfer to online eSIM in the user account. In 2021, it became possible to become a subscriber of the company remotely through registration of an eSIM-card in the mobile application "My A1", including number porting from other networks.
In August 2019 А1 presented the first smartphone under its own trade mark — А1 Alpha, in July 2020 А1 Alpha 20+ went on sale.
On 12 November 2019, A1 took part in signing a joint Belarusian-Austrian Declaration on strengthening cooperation in the sphere of communications, IT technologies and 5G technology development. A1 has applied for frequency allocation subject to the international standards of 5G and is currently developing the architecture of the 5G network. On May 22, 2020 A1 brought in test mode the first 5G SA network in Belarus in operation, created on the basis of standalone architecture. On May 25, 2020 the first call in Belarus and the CIS was made on this network using the VoNR technology.
A1 was the second company in the country, which began to sell SIM cards for self-registration in the partner network stores on May 12, 2021.
In June 2023, A1 was the first company in the country to launch a second carrier frequency in the 900 MHz range. This made it possible to almost double the capacity of the existing 3G network within the coverage area of the second carrier in the Minsk, Vitebsk and Mogilev regions. As of the end of 2024, A1 specialists have commissioned 1,057 cells operating at a frequency of 900 MHz as part of the UMTS-900 coverage expansion.
In April 2024, A1 provided 4G connectivity in the Minsk metro. The project was implemented in partnership with the infrastructure operator beCloud.
Owners and management
Prior to January 2005, Cypriot SB Telecom controlled 69.9% of shares in velcom, CJSC Beltechexport and Republican Unitary Enterprise Beltelecom had 30% and 0.1%, respectively. In January 2005, the state bought into the company: it acquired a 30.9% stake, whereas SB Telecom had 49%, Beltechexport 20%, and Beltelecom 0.1%.In August 2007, SB Telecom increased its shareholding to 100%, paying U.S. $556 million.
At the beginning of October 2007, Austria's A1 Telekom Austria Group signed a purchase agreement to buy 70% in the carrier from SB Telecom, and in October 2010, it bought the remaining stake of 30%.
Helmut Duhs is the CEO of A1 as of 2025.
Operations
Mobile communications
A1 provides GSM 900/1800, UMTS and 4G services in Belarus.Subscriber numbers
- +375 29 1 xx xx xx, +375 29 3 xx xx xx, +375 29 6 xx xx xx, +375 29 9 xx xx xx
- +375 44 4 xx xx xx, +375 44 5 xx xx xx, +375 44 7 xx xx xx
Fixed-line communications
The company started building its own fiber-optic network for its corporate customers in September 2014.In 2016–2018, velcom completed a series of transactions to acquire Belarusian Internet service providers – Atlant Telecom, Aichyna Plus, Belinfonet, Garant, Ranak Media. Furthermore, Business Network Internet provider transferred most of its private and some corporate subscribers to velcom.
As of 30 September 2024, A1's fixed-line subscriber base was approximately 945.9 users. Most of the operator's Internet access rates are package offers, i.e. they imply simultaneous subscription to digital television services under the VOKA brand.
Video service VOKA
Video service from A1 is available under the VOKA brand. A1's fixed-line Internet users benefit from the IPTV service and enjoy 142 channels. VOKA is also available in the networks of other mobile and fixed-line operators with the use of the OTT technology and offers 130 television channels. VOKA features diverse interactive functionality: pause, fast forward and reverse, archives of TV shows, as well as the function to continue watching on another device. Also available to all users are movies, cartoons and series provided by online streaming services START, more.tv, Premier, viju, The Walt Disney Studios, Warner, Marvel, Fox movies and cartoons. The service is accessible from Android and iOS mobile devices, Smart TV running on Tizen, WebOS, Android TV, on RedboxMini, Xiaomi Mi Box 3, Apple TV boxes. Desktop users can access the video service via the VOKA application for Windows or on the website.In 2018, the VOKA service began to feature exclusive content of its own production: the VOKA local section with reviews, documentaries, mini-reality films and TV shows; the "Sports" section with broadcasts of matches involving Belarusian clubs and national teams; live broadcasts of concerts, music festivals, cybersports tournaments, conferences and forums. Also available to users is the "CINEVOKA" section, which contains well-known movies, cartoons, serials in professional voice-over in the Belarusian language. Some of them have been exclusively translated and dubbed at the request of the video service.
On 28 January 2019, the VOKA video service presented the country's largest Ultra-High-Definition content library[.