DUSAHNBE, August 29, Asia-Plus -- Beginning on September 11, Russia''s second largest mobile company, VimpelCom (Vimpel-Communications), which operates under the Beeline brand, will introduce this brand in Tajikistan as well.  

According to information from Tajik cellular operator “Takom”, it will conduct an action on replacing SIM-cards of its clients with “Beeline” cards from August 30 to September 8.  Tacom is licensed to provide cellular communication services in Tajikistan in the GSM-900/1800, UMTS, CDMA-450, and AMPS standards.

As it had been reported earlier, VimpelCom on December 27 last year announced the purchase of a 60% stake in Tajik cellular operator “Tacom” for $12 million.  As a result of the deal, VimpelCom became a party to the shareholding agreement with shareholders in Tacom, who hold the remaining 40 percent of shares.  Two physical entities – director general of the open joint-stock “Tacom” and the chairman of the directors’ board of open joint-stock company “OryonBonk” – assume the this 40% ownership interest in “Tacom”.  It to be noted that this deal gives to VimpelCom the primary right to buy out remaining shares and increase its stake to 100%.

ABOUT: The VimpelCom Group includes cellular companies operating in Russia and Kazakhstan with recently acquired cellular operators in Tajikistan, Georgia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.  The Company operates under the ‘Beeline’ brand in Russia and Kazakhstan.  In addition, VimpelCom is continuing to use ‘K-mobile’ and ‘EXCESS’ brands in Kazakhstan.  The VimpelCom Group’s cellular license portfolio covers 78 regions of Russia and the entire territory of Georgia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.