MOSCOW-Vimpel Communications, which provides cellular service in Russia, Kazakstan and the Ukraine, has acquired a 60-percent stake in Tacom, a wireless carrier in Tajikistan.
VimpelCom paid $12 million for the stake.
The carrier also entered into an agreement with the remaining Tacom shareholders that grants VimpelCom options to acquire the remaining 40 percent of the carrier, under certain circumstances. Tacom holds national GSM-900, UMTS, AMPS and CDMA 450 licenses, according to VimpelCom. Tajikistan has a population of approximately 7 million.
“Given the latest economic performance of the country and the penetration rate of only 4 percent, we see good growth opportunities in Takjikistan,” said Alexander Izosimov, chief executive officer of VimpelCom.
