DUSHANBE, March 2, Asia-Plus - MLT/TT Mobile, a closed joint-stock company (CJSC) and one of Tajikistan’s largest cellular operators, has done the process of rebranding, replacing its original brand MLT with the brand of Russia’s MegaFon. 

The process was done on March 1.  A meeting of the board of directors of MegaFon on this subject was held in Moscow in late January.   

A source at MLT/TT Mobile said that beginning on March 1, all subscribers of MLT become subscribers of MegaFon.  

“Rebranding will enable us to improve quality of services rendered and provide coverage to remote areas of the country,” the source said, adding that MLT will provide cellular communication services in all standards used by MegaFon.  

According to the MLT/TT Mobile headquarters in Dushanbe, the company was established on September 3, 2001. ”Since October 5 2001, when the company was registered under the brand of MLT (Mobile Lines of Tajikistan), it has provided cellular communications services in the GSM standard,” the source noted. 

The source says the company covers all four provinces of Tajikistan, operating in 40 cities and districts.  The company currently has 200,000th clients. 

MLT/TT Mobile is a joint venture between the Russian cellular operator MegaFon and Tajikistan’s national fixed-line operator, Tajik Telecom. MegaFon owns 75 percent of the shares and Tajik Telecom holds a 25 percent interest in MLT/TT-Mobile. 

MegaFon, an open joint stock company, was founded in May 2002 with the renaming and reorganization of the Russian cellular operator North-West GSM. 

MLT/TT Mobile was the first cellular operator in Tajikistan to offer its clients the 3G standard in 2005.