Tajikistan, located in Central Asia, is a landlocked nation characterised by mountainous terrain, covering about 93% of its geography, which results in a challenging environment for the deployment of technology and telecommunications infrastructure. The population of around 9.7 million is unevenly distributed, with a high concentration in the fertile lowlands of the west and significant population scarcity in the eastern mountainous regions. This has led to a diverse range of infrastructure solutions to provide services to remote areas, such as LEO satellite-based communications and off-grid renewable energy systems. Tajikistan's telecommunications and technology sectors are still maturing, with a relatively low tele-density and internet penetration rate in comparison to global averages. The country has made strides in the renewable energy sector, particularly hydropower, capitalising on its abundant water resources from the Amu Darya and Syr Darya river systems.
Mobile Network Operators
The are 4 companies operating mobile networks in this region.
Babilon-Mobile is a telecommunications company that operates within Tajikistan. It was established in the year 2002. The company is a privately held entity, locally owned. Babilon-Mobile is one of the leading mobile operators in Tajikistan, providing a range of telecommunication services to its customers.
Tcell is one of the largest mobile networks operating in Tajikistan and is represented by two legal companies: CJSC Indigo Tajikistan, operating in RRS, Khatlon and GBAO regions and CJSC JV Somoncom, operating in Sugd region. Established in 2000, the company began providing mobile services in 2002, then a joint venture between Swedish-based TeliaSonera (60% ownership) and Switzerland-based Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development (AKFED). Telia divested its entire 60% controlling stake in the company to AKFED in September 2016 to focus its efforts closer to home.
ZET Mobile is a telecommunications company operating in Tajikistan. The company began operations in 2006. Tacom was a majority owned subsidiary (98%) and member of the VEON group of companies until its sale to the private investor in May 2019. The company rebranded to ZET Mobile following the sale.