Telecom Operators in Uzbekistan to Gain Direct Access to International Internet under Pilot Project

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan has adopted a resolution aimed at liberalizing the telecommunications market. According to the document, mobile and fixed-line operators in the country will be allowed, on an experimental basis, to connect directly to international internet channels for their own commercial purposes. The pilot project will run until 1 January 2030.
Regulation of operators’ access to external channels will be overseen by the Ministry of Digital Technologies. The operational body for the experiment will be the Republican Center for Telecommunications Network Management (RCTNM).
By 1 July 2028, the Ministry of Digital Technologies, together with other state authorities, is required to develop an improved procedure for connecting to international internet channels, taking into account World Trade Organization (WTO) requirements and modern communication technologies.
The resolution also establishes a temporary set of requirements for operators participating in the experiment. In particular, their fiber-optic networks must cover at least 50% of the country’s territory.
To connect, operators must sign an agreement with the RCTNM and submit a package of documents, including a network and international connectivity diagram, development plans, a gateway project for connecting to the external internet channel, as well as information on the gateway’s management and personnel.
Additionally, the connection project must receive expert approval from the Ministry of Digital Technologies, the Center for the Development of Electronic Technologies, the State Security Service, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Cybersecurity Center. These authorities are required to review the documents within 15 working days.
If approved, the RCTNM will prepare a draft participation agreement within three working days, which the operator must sign no later than five days thereafter.