The Communications Service under the Government of Tajikistan held a working meeting with representatives of mobile operators on November 26, says the press center of the communications service agency. They were reportedly warned that if communication issues persist, they could face fines or even have their licenses revoked.
In addition to operators, the meeting involved the State Unitary Enterprise “Smart City” and the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The discussion focused on preparing mobile communications companies for the winter period, the state of mobile services in the country’s regions, and other industry-related issues.
The head of the Communications Service, Beg Sabour, noted an increase in complaints from residents regarding poor service quality in various regions of Tajikistan and the results of connection quality monitoring conducted directly by communications sector employees.
According to him, this situation forces the Communications Service to strengthen control over the activities of mobile operators, increase the repair and modernization of base stations, and take further action in cases of non-compliance with service standards, including fines, criminal responsibility, and license revocation.
The monitoring of mobile service quality, base station performance, and local company officials' accountability was recommended not only for the Communications Service but also for the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
In this context, quality checks of mobile service have already begun in the city, with one of the inspection vehicles spotted recently.
In Tajikistan, disputes often arise not only about mobile service quality but also about operator pricing. People primarily complain that, despite price hikes, the quality of internet and mobile service has not improved.
In April of this year, the communications service agency urged Tajikistan's operators to stop attempting to increase tariffs, but the prices did rise.
The agency, however, stated that "mobile companies should improve internet speeds, not raise the cost of internet and mobile services."
Later, the agency supported the price increase for internet in Tajikistan, claiming that there are no issues with internet speed in the country and that its cost is not high.
Nevertheless, internet speed remains a significant issue, and difficulties persist not only in rural areas but even in the capital.
The price-quality ratio does not always align, and Tajikistan has long been regarded as one of the countries with the most expensive internet in Central Asia. Only Turkmenistan pays more for Internet in the region.
