On May 14-15, experts of the International Telecommunication Union and the GSM Association, with the support of the Agency for Innovations and Digital Technologies under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan and the Communication Service under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, are conducting a training "Communication technologies of the future", focusing on technological aspects of telecommunications.
The ITU training is designed to offer participants — representatives of the telecom industry, academia, regulators and government-makers — how to make networks faster and more efficient through the convergence of different types of communications – mobile, fixed and satellite. The training is attended by representatives of 35 organizations from the telecom industry of Tajikistan.
The CIS countries are undergoing a major upgrade of their communications systems, allowing their economies to become more modern and efficient. New technologies make communication faster and more convenient, opening up new opportunities for business and people's daily lives.
At the training, participants study advanced solutions in the field of communications and the role of the state in their implementation, learn to distinguish between modern and outdated technologies, get acquainted with network automation using artificial intelligence, and consider successful world practices of introducing innovations.
Ahead of the training, the ITU Regional Office for the CIS talked to experts from the Communication Service under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan and the Agency for Innovations and Digital Technologies under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan to learn how communication networks are developing in Tajikistan today and how citizens use digital services.
- How far has Tajikistan advanced in the allocation of radio spectrum among operators for the development of 5G networks? What is the current situation with respect to the development of 5G networks?
Head of the International Department of the Communication Service under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan
Orzu Naimov:
- This issue was raised in the Address of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon on the main directions of the domestic and foreign policy of the republic. One of the key areas of activity of the Communication and Mobile Company Service is to expand the new generation of 5G networks.
So far, 5G is available to the residents of Dushanbe only partially. Base stations are in the process of being modernized virtually all over the country, paving the way for expanding the provision of 5G services to the public. After careful consideration, we will launch and implement a concrete plan for 5G rollout to get to the level where everyone in the country will become 5G users.
Our goal is to make sure that this time comes as soon as possible. By 2030, the share of 5G connections in the country should be about 90%.
- How relevant are satellite communication systems, including low-orbit systems, for you?
On the basis of the instructions and instructions of the President of the Republic of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, which are aimed at reforming the communications sector, the basis for its development and expansion has been created. One of the goals of the country's leadership is to adapt telecommunication services to the socio-economic conditions of society through sustainable development of the industry. In this regard, Emomali Rahmon at the Summit of Central Asia and the European Union (04.04.25, Samarkand) noted that it is important to implement the project "Regional Satellite Connection for Unserved and Underserved Territories of Central Asia".
The relevance of satellite communication systems for accessibility to the Internet in the country is increasing. The Government of the Republic of Tajikistan is harmonizing the legal acts taking into account this trend.
- What is the percentage of regions that remain uncovered by broadband access?
The centers of all regions of the country, where the majority of the population lives, have complete penetration of broadband access, but due to the peculiarities of the relief - the mountainousness of the country's localities, the penetration rate of broadband access in the country is 49.5%
- How do you assess the state of the telecommunications market and the competition between operators? What measures are you taking to encourage operators to expand their services to remote regions?
The main focus of the telecommunication sector reform is to eliminate problems and obstacles in the development and maturation of the sector, to adapt communication services to the needs of society, to regulate the sector in accordance with international standards, to ensure transparency, to create conditions for the direct connection of domestic telecommunication operators to international telecommunication networks, and to increase the level of mobile coverage in the country. With the support of the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan, this process has gained new momentum.
Improving the level of service was the priority of the Communications staff, and action was being taken to that end.
In total, the Republic of Tajikistan operates 16,753 base stations and serves about 7,201 km of fiber-optic communication lines to expand access to high-speed Internet.
- How do you see the future of communications in mountainous terrain?
The Communication Service decided to develop a draft "State Program for the Development of the Communications Sector in the Republic of Tajikistan for 2026-2030" on the basis of the "National Development Strategy of the Republic of Tajikistan for the period up to 2030" and submit it to the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan.
The programme will cover the perspectives of all areas of the communications sector – legal regulation of the sector, creation of a favourable competitive environment in the telecommunications sector, proper frequency distribution and radio control and monitoring, as well as the connection of all government agencies and service providers to telecommunications networks throughout the country. Particular attention will be paid to communications in mountainous and remote areas, including Internet
provisionvia satellite communication systems in the area.
- What is the situation in Tajikistan with wholesale purchases of capacity at an external gateway? What measures are being taken to reduce traffic costs?
Since the beginning of 2025, the Communication Service has been expanding cooperation with telecom operators of a number of foreign countries in order to increase the availability of external channels of Internet access, create alternative reliable international communication lines, and turn the territories of the republic into an active transit zone. Thanks to the fact that the Communication Service has established profitable cooperation with these operators, the cost of importing Internet into the country has been significantly reduced. This has led to a decrease in the cost of mobile and fixed Internet services by domestic operators.
As a result, the volume of mobile Internet packages increased by 20%.
Fixed-Internet provider tariffs have been reduced by an average of 55%, and tariffs with speeds below 5 Mbit/s have been removed from the market. This is despite the fact that previously fixed Internet speeds started at 0.5 Mbit/s. This process is ongoing, and we plan to reach 30 Mbit/s by the end of 2025 and increase it to 100 Mbit/s in the next three years.
In general, in order to increase internet speeds and simplify communication access of national operators, CSS installed and commissioned multi-port switches, uninterruptible power supplies and inverters. This is necessary to provide equipment with constant power supply in the cities and districts of the Republic of Tajikistan.
Chief Specialist of the Department of Regulation of the Communication Service under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan
Firuz Kurbonov, First Deputy Director of the Agency for Innovation and Digital Technologies under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan
Hakim Ismoilzod and Technical Director of Ubiquitous Wireless LLP (Astana, Kazakhstan), ITU expert Vadim Poskakukhin
How Citizens in Tajikistan Use Digital Services
The state body in Tajikistan that is responsible for the development of modern technologies and digitalization of the country is the Agency for Innovation and Digital Technologies under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan.
This organization is engaged in the implementation of electronic services (for example, the receipt of public services online), the development of digital technologies in the economy and society, the creation of conditions for working with digital assets, and also ensures that all public services can be obtained over the Internet - with the help of electronic signatures, electronic documents and other modern technologies.
The Innovation Agency reported that the main drivers of Internet traffic growth in Tajikistan are marketplaces (local market players, Wildberries, Pinduoduo, Taobao, etc.); messengers and social networks (WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, TikTok) that provide the main traffic of the mobile Internet; video content and streaming services (YouTube, Netflix, online TV platforms), the consumption of which is constantly growing; digital financial services (payment systems, mobile banking, e-wallets); as well as public digital services (unified portal of public services, online customs clearance, EDM), which the Innovation Agency is developing.
According to the Innovation Agency, the key priorities of digitalization in Tajikistan are the development of digital infrastructure - optics, 4G/5G networks - with an emphasis on the speed and stability of communication.
According to the Innovation Agency, to meet the growing demand, bandwidth needs from 30 Mbit/s per subscriber in urban areas and at least 5 Mbit/s in remote regions.
In addition, the priorities of digitalization are the introduction of public services: electronic document management, education and online healthcare, improving digital literacy and skills of the population through large-scale educational programs.
Among the main problems in the use and spread of digital services, the Innovation Agency names the insufficient level of digital literacy of the population, especially among the elderly. Some people are accustomed to traditional service methods, especially in matters of financial and public services. In addition, outside the major cities of Tajikistan, there is still a problem with high-speed Internet.
Read more about ITU trainings on Networks of the Future in this
article.
