DUSHANBE, July 21, 2011, Asia-Plus – Tajik cellular phone provider, TT-Mobile, which provided cellular telecommunications services under the brand of MLT (Mobile Lines of Tajikistan), has been rebranded as MegaFon-Tajikistan.

The decision on rebranding the company has been made by its shareholders – Tajik national company Tajik Telecom (Tajikistan’s fixed-line telecommunications network) and Russian cellular operator MegaFon.

Beg Zuhurov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Tajik Telecom, told a news conference in Dushanbe on July 20 that MegaFon-Tajikistan would participate in all telecommunications projects in Tajikistan and its investments would positively impact the country’s economy.

In 2010, MegaFon-Tajikistan constructed more than 600 new base stations, with 80 percent of them maintaining 3G technology.  A total amount of investments has reportedly exceeded 100 million U.S. dollars over the past three years.

MegaFon-Tajikistan plans to double the number of its clients that will allow holding fair share in the country’s market of mobile telecommunications services.

Established in 2001, MLT accounts for more than 20 percent of users of mobile telecommunications services in the country.

MLT is now 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.

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 was the first cellular operator in Tajikistan to offer its clients the 3G standard in 2005.  It now offers cellular telecommunications services in the GSM-900/1800, 3G-UMTS and 3.5G HSDPA standards.  The company has license for providing telematic and data communications (including IP-telephony) services.