Tacom expands its operations

DUSHANBE, July 1, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- The limited liability company, Tacom, which offers cellular communications services in Tajikistan under the Beeline brand, has expanded its operations.

In districts subordinate the center, Tacom’s services are now available also for residents of Bungakiyon, Navobod, Nourobod, Romit, Shurob, Shaambari, Qiblai and Nimij.

In the northern Sughd province, the company now covers also Rarz, Veshab, Pokhut, Punuk, Ashti-Bolo, Chorukh-Dayron, and Takeli villages.

Tacom has also expanded its operations into Pashadara, Tugarak, Sarichshma, Mojirobod and Batrobod in Khatlon province.

In Gorno Badakhshan, Tacom’s services are n available for residents of the villages of Baravn and Tusyon.

“For rather short period, the number of Tacom’s customers has increased by more than 60,000 people,” the Tacom director general Sergey Mironov noted.

Tacom is licensed to provide cellular communication services in Tajikistan in the GSM-900/1800, UMTS, CDMA-450, and AMPS standards.  In December 2005, VimpelCom providing telecommunications services under the Beeline brand purchased a 60% stake in Tacom.  VimpelCom now reportedly assumes the 80% ownership interest in Tacom.

VimpelCom was founded in 1992 and initially operated AMPS/D-AMPS network in Moscow area.  In 1997, it was taken public by Russian-born American financier Leonid Rozhetskin, becoming the first Russian company listed on the New York Stock Exchange.  In 1997 the company began GSM network roll-out.  In 2001 it started GSM networks throughout Russia's regions, having gradually increased its regional presence to the majority of Russia's territory.  In 2004, VimpelCom, in its first move outside Russia's territory, acquired Kazakh cellular operator KaR-Tel (brand names K-Mobile and Excess).  In November 2005 VimpelCom stepped further with foreign acquisitions by acquiring 100% of Ukrainian RadioSystems, a marginal Ukrainian GSM operator operating under Wellcom and Mobi brands.

According to Wikipedia, in May 2010, VimpelCom merged with Kyivstar to form the largest operator group in Russia and CIS countries -- VimpelCom Ltd.  In October 2010, VimpelCom Ltd and Weather Investments declared their plans “to form what would become the world's fifth largest mobile telecommunication service provider in a deal valued at over $6.5 billion.”

VimpelCom’s current license portfolio reportedly covers a territory where 97% of Russia's population resides, as well as 100% of the territory of Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Georgia and Armenia.