Incomes of private mobile operators have begun to grow. Over the first six months of this year, incomes of private mobile operators have increased by 77 million somoni (equivalent to some .5 million U.S. dollars) compared to the same period last year.
According to data from the Communications Service under the Government of Tajikistan, private mobile phone companies operating in Tajikistan have earned a total of 1.214 billion somoni over the first seven months of this year, which is 6.8 percent more than in the same period last year.
In January-July 2019, total incomes of private operators reportedly amounted to 1.137 billion somoni.
Meanwhile, total incomes of the Open Joint-Stock Company (OJSC) Tajik telecom and the State Unitary Enterprise Prochain Tojik (Tajik Post), which are subordinate to the communications service agency, have fallen nearly 20 percent over the same seven-month period – from 96.4 million somoni in January-July 2019 to 77.3 million somoni in the same period this year.
As of July 1, 2020, a total number of Internet users in Tajikistan was more than 3 million people, while a total number of mobile communications users was more than 5.9 million, with some 5.3 million of them being active users.
Incomes of the country’s telecoms sector have been declining for the fourth consecutive year since the Unified Electronic Communications Switching Center was established at OJSC Tajiktelecom in January 2016. Internet service providers (ISPs) must now buy data from this Center.
Thus, incomes of the country’s telecoms sector reduced by nearly 5 million somoni in a year to December 31, 2019, amounting to little more than 2.4 billion somoni.
The World Bank noted in its report released in late August last year that the telecoms sector, which was a source of dynamic growth amid open competition in the early 2000s, has become overregulated and less competitive. In contrast to its declared official strategy to develop a more competitive and dynamic telecoms industry, through its regulator, the communication service agency, the government has tightened the regulatory environment.
Tajikistan Country Economic Memorandum Nurturing Tajikistan’s Growth Potential says the communications service agency has a monopoly on the provision of online data and runs the state telephony and internet services provider.
According to the report, urgent measures are needed to restore confidence in the telecoms sector, reduce regulatory risks, and take advantage of international connectivity initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative.
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.
