The Communications Service under the Government of Tajikistan criticized the low internet speed in hotels and accommodations in Dushanbe during a working meeting held on December 9.
The meeting members included Deputy Head of the Communications Service Ahliddin Murtazozoda, senior representatives of the Tourism Committee, local hotels, mobile operators, and Internet service providers (ISPs).
Speaking at the meeting, Murtazozoda reportedly highlighted inspections revealing that internet speed in several Dushanbe hotels, such as Dushanbe Hotel, Avesta Hotel, Tajikistan Hotel, and Ayni Hotel, fails to meet global standards.
He noted that outdated equipment was a major issue, unable to provide the necessary speed for the comfort of foreign guests—a critical factor ahead of major international events.
“Despite having technically adequate internet channels in the country, hotels need to upgrade their equipment to deliver high-speed internet,” Murtazozoda stated.
The communications service agency official demanded that all hotels in the capital update their systems promptly to align with modern standards, recommending a minimum internet speed of 100 Mbps for guests.
Murtazozoda also promised free internet access to hotels during state events if their technical systems were upgraded.
Meanwhile, Tajikistan has long been recognized as having some of the most expensive internet services in Central Asia. According to the 2024 Global Relocate report, Tajikistan ranked 142nd out of 238 countries and territories, with an average cost of US$1.65 per gigabyte.
For comparison, the average cost is US$0.17 in Kyrgyzstan (8th globally), US$0.30 in Uzbekistan (22nd globally), and US$0.41 in Kazakhstan (35th globally). This makes internet in Tajikistan nearly 9.5 times more expensive than in Kyrgyzstan, 5.5 times more expensive than in Uzbekistan, and 4 times more expensive than in Kazakhstan.
Speedtest Global Index data from July 2024 placed Tajikistan among the five countries with the slowest mobile internet (139th out of 143 countries) and ranked it 131st for fixed broadband internet speed (out of 181 countries).
The communications service agency, however, disputes these reports. In July, the agency dismissed international reports on internet speed, cost, and accessibility as unreliable during a press conference.
