Indigo Tajikistan, which offers mobile phone services in Tajikistan under the Tcell brand, now accounts for nearly 40 percent of mobile telecommunications services in the country.
According to the Antimonopoly Agency under the Government of Tajikistan, four mobile operators, namely Closed Joint-Stock Company (CJSC) Indigo Tajikistan, CJSC TT-Mobile (Megafon Tajikistan), CJSC Babilon Mobile and Open Joint-Stock Company (OJSC) Tacom (Zet Mobile, formerly Beeline), are on the register of companies having dominant position on the country’s telecommunications market.
Thus, Indigo Tajikistan now accounts for 39.83 percent of mobile services offered in GSM 900/1800 standard, TT-Mobile – 24.12 percent, Babilon Mobile – 21-64 percent, and Tacom – 14.42 percent.
As far as the mobile internet services are concerned, Indigo Tajikistan now accounts for 37.90 percent, TT-Mobile – 26.61 percent, Babilon Mobile – 23.20 percent, and Tacom – 12.29 percent.
It is to be noted that two years ago Tcell accounted for about a third of the country’s telecommunications market, while an aggregate share of Megafon and Beeline amounted to some 45 percent. Currently, a total market share of these two companies (Megafon and Beeline) is little more than 38 percent.
Recall, the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED), which is part of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) added Tcell to its portfolio in April 2017 by buying Telia Company’s 60% stake in the company. AKFED already owned the other 40% in Tcell.
As far as the Beeline brand is concerned, Russian-backed, Amsterdam-headquartered VEON on April 5, 2018 agreed to sell its 98% stake in Tacom to then-2% shareholder ZET Mobile via a British Virgin Islands-registered holding company, completing the transaction on June 8, 2018.