Best Operator in a Growth Market
Crisis Response Award
London, 12 December 2024 – VEON Ltd. (Nasdaq: VEON), a global digital operator (“VEON” or the “Company”), announces that it won in two categories at the World Communication Awards 2024. Kyivstar, VEON’s digital operator in Ukraine, received the Crisis Response Award, while Jazz, the Company’s operator in Pakistan, received the Best Operator in a Growth Market Award. Both companies and VEON were commended for their positive impact and dedication to the markets in which they operate, during the awards ceremony, which was held in London on December 10th.
VEON’s Kyivstar was recognized for its work in keeping telecommunications running in Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion almost three years ago. Kyivstar was also commended for its investments into energy resilience, including the deployment of 2,300 power generators and 113,000 batteries to power its network in the face of near-constant blackouts. VEON’s pledge to invest 1 billion USD into Ukraine’s telecommunication infrastructure and digital services sector over 2023-2027 was also highly praised.
“We are pleased that Kyivstar has been recognized by the World Communication Awards for its exceptional work in crisis response. The past three years have been extremely challenging, and receiving international recognition for the remarkable efforts of Kyivstar’s employees in keeping Ukraine connected is truly heartening,” said Oleksandr Komarov, CEO of Kyivstar.
VEON’s Jazz was the recipient of the Best Operator in a Growth Market Award in recognition of its strong growth, success in building a subscriber base of 72 million and its portfolio of highly successful digital offerings, which have brought financial services, entertainment and healthcare to Jazz customers and the wider population of Pakistan. The World Communication Award also highlighted Jazz’s focus on social responsibility, which includes the operator’s progress in supporting Pakistan’s considerable unbanked population through life-changing financial services via its sister companies JazzCash and Mobilink Microfinance Bank.
“For over two decades, the World Communication Awards have been a hallmark of excellence in the global telecommunications sector. We are thrilled to be receiving the Best Operator in a Growth Market Award. The expansion of digital connectivity in Pakistan has positively impacted tens of millions of people through enhanced communication and innovative services. It has significantly contributed to the country’s economic growth and will continue to play a vital role in improving lives and livelihoods,” said Aamir Ibrahim, CEO of Jazz.
The World Communications Awards are organized by leading global telecoms publisher and events company, Total Telecoms. The awards were adjudicated by over 100 independent industry experts, academics and CTOs, and are widely recognized among the most prestigious accolades in the telecommunications industry.
About Kyivstar
Kyivstar is the largest telecoms operator in Ukraine with over 23 million mobile subscribers and over 1 million home internet subscribers. As Ukraine’s market-leading operator, the company has maintained network availability of above 90% on average since February 2022, supporting the connectivity of not only its own customers but also the broader Ukrainian population. Kyivstar is 100% owned by the VEON Group.
About Jazz
Jazz is Pakistan’s leading digital operator with over 71.4 million cellular subscribers and 63.3 million MAUs of digital services as of Q2 2024. Jazz offers the most extensive portfolio of digital services including JazzCash, Pakistan’s leading fintech; Garaj, the largest onshore cloud and cybersecurity platform; and Tamasha, Pakistan’s largest homegrown OTT video streaming and entertainment platform.
About VEON
VEON is a Nasdaq-listed digital operator that provides converged connectivity and digital services to nearly 160 million customers. Operating across six countries that are home to more than 7% of the world’s population, VEON is transforming lives through technology-driven services that empower individuals and drive economic growth. For more information visit: www.veon.com.
Disclaimer
This release contains “forward-looking statements”, as the phrase is defined in Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements are not historical facts, and include statements relating to, among other things, VEON’s investment plans, digital products, business plans and commercial partnerships. Forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which VEON cannot predict with accuracy and some of which VEON might not even anticipate. The forward-looking statements contained in this release speak only as of the date of this release. VEON does not undertake to publicly update, except as required by U.S. federal securities laws, any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after such dates or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
Contact Information
VEON
Hande Asik
Group Director of Communications
pr@veon.com
MHP Group
Julian Tanner
Julian.tanner@mhpgroup.com
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