The Agency for the Protection and Development of Competition (APDC) has launched an investigation into mobile operator Beeline (Kar-Tel LLP) following an increase in wired internet tariffs from February 2025. The agency has requested documentation from the operator to analyse the justification for the price rise.
According to Bes.media, the APDC is checking whether the operator's actions comply with Article 174 of the Republic of Kazakhstan's Code 'On Competition', which prohibits dominant companies from setting monopolistically high prices.
At the same time, the Agency is analysing the dynamics of tariff prices in 2024 to identify possible anti-competitive schemes. If the violation is confirmed, the telecommunications operator faces a fine of up to 5% of annual revenue and confiscation of monopoly profits.
It has come to light that Beeline customers previously received notifications about an increase in internet costs from February 2025, from 4,990 to 5,990 tenge. A similar rise in tariff prices was observed last year.
The operator attributes the increase to inflation, the devaluation of the tenge, and investments in infrastructure. Furthermore, according to Kar-Tel LLP, data consumption by customers has grown by 40% over the year.
It is noted that those who are not satisfied with the set prices are being offered by Beeline to switch to family tariffs or packages with less data.
As a reminder, in May last year, the Chairman of the APDC, Marat Omarov, stated that the agency suspected three mobile operators in the Republic of Kazakhstan (Kcell, Tele2/Altel, Beeline) of collusion regarding tariff increases. At the time, he noted that an investigation into them was concluding, results were being finalised, and certain court proceedings had already begun.
Later, the APDC issued a warning to Kazakhtelecom JSC following the company's announcement of higher tariffs, including for home internet. In October, the APDC suspended the investigation into the telecommunications operators pending the outcome of the court cases.