DUSHANBE, May 6, 2010, Asia-Plus  -- Tajik cellular operator TT-Mobile providing cellular telecommunications services under the brand of MLT (Mobile Lines of Tajikistan) has launched a program on installing base stations on territory of households belonging to vulnerable families, according to the MLT press service.

“We intend to rent plots or roofs of residential buildings of vulnerable families for installation our base stations that will be considerable help for these families, which have needs in additional earnings,” the source said.

Established in 2001, MLT accounts for some 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.