The story
The Kcell company was founded on September 30, 1998.
February 7, 1999 – launch of the Kcell brand.
September 9, 1999 – launch of the Activ brand.
In 2004 the subscriber base of the company exceeded 1.5 million people.
In December 2007 the subscriber database reached 6 million subscribers. In the same year all inhabited localities with a population of 5000 people were provided with communication.
In 2009 the Kcell corporate brand was restyled.
In 2010 the Kcell was chosen as the official mobile operator of the OSCE Summit and the 7th Asian Winter Games 2011.
In 2011 the 3G network from the Kcell was deployed in 31 cities of Kazakhstan. 94% of the populated area was covered with the Kcell network signal.
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December, 2012 – successful listing of the company shares (KCEL marketing year) on KASE (Kazakhstan Stock Exchange) and on I, LSE (London Stock Exchange).
2013 – Kcell became a winner of the “Best IPO in Central and Eastern Europe” nomination according to EMEA Finance magazine.
2014 – Kcell JSC was recognized as the major taxpayer of the country in the non-energy industry.
At the end of May 2014 the Kcell became an official distributor of iPhone smartphones in Kazakhstan.
2015 – Kcell announced about opening of the first brand store in Almaty – Kcell Store.
New format of the store allows clients to receive information about various mobile devices and applications from Kcell consultants, as well as to test capabilities of smartphones on-site before making purchase.
2016 – Kcell signed the agreement with the Beeline Kazakhstan (VimpelCom group) on mutual use of networks for cooperative launch of the 4G/LTE services in Kazakhstan. This strategic partnership will allow the Kcell company to carry out operational launch of the 4G/LTE services in all major regions of the country by combining networks of two operators.
In 2016, the Kcell received nomination from Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE) for high level of transparency and disclosure of information.
In the first half of 2017, 6.5 million residents of 20 cities of Kazakhstan are under the area of 4G/LTE signal coverage from the Kcell JSC.
In March 2025, Kcell signed a strategic partnership agreement with e&International, the global division of UAE-based telecommunications group e&, during the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The agreement aims to accelerate Kazakhstan’s digital transformation by enabling Kcell to adopt global best practices in network operations, digital services, and customer experience.
From Wikipedia’s article on Kcell, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4