Answering journalists’ questions at a news conference in Dushanbe, the newly appointed head of the Communications Service under the Government of Tajikistan, Isfandiyor Sa’dullo, promised on January 29 that internet prices will be reduced in Tajikistan in the near future.
He also stated that internet service providers (ISPs) are required to take alternative measures to improve network quality. In particular, backup batteries will be installed to maintain signal transmission during power outages.
According to the communications service agency, the telecommunications sector’s revenue in 2024 increased by 11.3% compared to the previous year, reaching 4.3 billion somonis.
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Isfandiyor Sa’dullo noted that while internet quality in Tajikistan has improved over the past few years, the increasing number of users has put a strain on the system.
"Just look at how many bloggers and how much video content has flooded the internet!" he said as an example.
According to the Communications Service, the number of internet users (both mobile and fixed-line) in Tajikistan stands at 4.5 million.
Sa’dullo also cited Tajikistan’s geography as a key reason for slow internet speeds.
"Another factor is Tajikistan’s mountainous terrain, which makes signal distribution and coverage more difficult. Unlike other countries, we have to install many more base stations, which requires additional costs," he explained at a press conference.
However, he did not specify how long it will take to fully resolve the internet speed issue in the country.
According to him, three mobile operators are currently experimenting with 5G.
The new head of the Communications Service also mentioned that mobile base stations are being used in Dushanbe. These stations relocate to high-traffic areas when the network is overloaded, ensuring connectivity and internet access.
Expensive and slow
Tajikistan has long held the status of one of the countries with the most expensive internet in Central Asia—second only to Turkmenistan.
According to the Global Relocate 2024 ranking, Tajikistan ranks 142nd out of 238 countries and territories in terms of internet affordability, with an average cost of US$1.65 per 1GB of data.
For comparison:
- In Kyrgyzstan, 1GB costs US$0.17 (8th cheapest in the world)
- In Uzbekistan, US$0.30 (22nd place)
- In Kazakhstan, US$0.41 (35th place)
This means internet in Tajikistan is 9.5 times more expensive than in Kyrgyzstan, 5.5 times more expensive than in Uzbekistan, and 4 times more expensive than in Kazakhstan
Meanwhile, according to the Speedtest Global Index as of July 2024, Tajikistan ranked 139th out of 143 countries for mobile internet speed and 131st out of 181 countries for fixed-line internet speed—placing it among the five slowest in the world.
Despite this, the Communications Service reports that 8 million people use mobile and fixed-line services in the country, with over 5 million people are active subscribers.
In 2023, authorities installed 798 new base stations and laid 300 km of fiber-optic lines to improve connectivity.
However, throughout the year, users continued to complain about low speeds and frequent disruptions in service.
