In a report released at a news conference in Dushanbe, the deputy head of the Communications Service under the Government of Tajikistan, Ilhom Atayev, revealed on July 16 that a total gain of enterprises of the communications service agency, private mobile operators and Internet service providers (ISPs) over the first six months of this year has amounted to 139.5 million U.S. dollars (USD).
Over the same period last year, the communications sector earned 128.9 million U.S. dollars, Atayev noted.
“Over the first six months of this year, a total amount of services rendered to the population by the electrical link enterprises has amounted to 925.5 million somoni (equivalent to 98.1 million USD), which is 4.8 million USD more than in the same period last year,” the communications service agency executive said.
According to him, nearly 3,110 people now work for the communications sector at an average monthly wage of 945 somoni (equivalent to 100 USD).
The current number of mobile phone subscribers in the country is more than 6.2 million people, with more than 4.1 million of them being active mobile phone users, Atayev said, adding that a total number of users of Internet, including the mobile Internet, in Tajikistan is 2.5 million people.
Meanwhile, as of July 1, 2017, a total number of mobile phone subscribers in Tajikistan was more than 7.3 million and as of January 1, 2017, a total number of mobile phone subscribers in the country was more than 8.7 million.
As far as Internet users are concerned, as of July 1, 2017, a total number of them in Tajikistan was 2.3 million and as of January 1, 2017, a total number of Internet users in the country was 2.6 million
As can be seen from these figures, the number of mobile phone subscribers is continuing to decrease in Tajikistan.
In 2016, InternetLiveStats year ranked Tajikistan 114th among 200 nations in terms of the number of Internet users. More than 1.6 million Internet users were reported in Tajikistan by July 1 2016, which was 18.7 percent of the country’s population. Compared to 2015, the number of Internet users in Tajikistan reportedly increased over the first six months of 2016 by 4.3 percent or 67,200 people.
InternetLiveStats notes that Internet user is an individual who has access to the Internet at home; this indicator does not record use, or frequency of use, but only access.
Some independent experts consider that decrease in the number of mobile phone subscribers in Tajikistan has resulted from the rising tariffs and deteriorating quality of communications.
