In a report released at a news conference in Dushanbe, Ilhom Atoyev, the deputy head of the country’s communications service agency, revealed on July 28 that revenues of private mobile phone companies operating in Tajikistan over the first six months of this year have amounted to more than 1.8 billion somonis.
“Meanwhile, the revenues of the divisions of the national telecom operator Tojiktelecom, State Unitary Enterprise (SUE) Pochtai Tojik (Tajik Post) as well as other divisions the Communications Service under the Government of Tajikistan over the same-six-month period have amounted to about 100 million somonis,” Atoyev noted.
According to him, following president’s criticism the communications service agency have installed 443 new 3rd and 4th generation base stations in the country. “20 3rd and 4th generation base stations have been installed in Dushanbe,” the communications service agency top manager noted.
Atoyev also said that noted that the number of mobile communications users in Tajikistan has amounted to 8.3 million as of July 1, 2023; only about 5.6 million of them considered active mobile communications users.
“Current total number of Internet users in the country (both mobile internet and fixed broadband internet) in the country is 4.5 million people,” Atoyev added.
Tajikistan routinely ranks toward the bottom of international standings in terms of Internet speed and prices offered by Internet service providers (ISPs).
As of April 2023, the Speedtest Global Index ranks Tajikistan 129th among 138 countries in terms of mobile Internet speed and 130th among 180 counties in terms of fixed broadband internet speed.
For comparison, Kazakhstan ranks 72nd and 101st, respectively; Kyrgyzstan – 83rd and 84th; and Uzbekistan – 104th and 89th.
Worldwide Mobile Data Pricing 2022 ranks Tajikistan 131st among 233 countries in terms of the cost of 1Gb of mobile data. In Tajikistan, an average price for 1GB of mobile data is US$1.94.
In Central Asia, the lowest price for 1 GB of mobile data was reported in Kyrgyzstan – US$0.17. Worldwide Mobile Data Pricing 2022 ranks Kyrgyzstan 6th among 233 countries. Uzbekistan is on the 15th place – US$37; Kazakhstan is on the 16th place – US$0.37.
Even Afghanistan ranks 64th among 233 countries – US$0.90.
