Uzbekistan Introduces New Telecom Rules: Free Tariff Changes and Number Retention for a Year

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — The Ministry of Justice of Uzbekistan, in cooperation with the Ministry of Digital Technologies, has registered a new edition of the Rules for Providing Telecommunication Services (registration № 3672, on 26 January 2026), aimed at enhancing user convenience and protecting subscriber rights.

Under the updated rules, the period for terminating a mobile service contract due to insufficient funds on the subscriber’s account has been extended from two months to one year.

Subscribers now have the right to change their tariff plan to any other plan free of charge, except for special tariffs intended for specific user categories or limited regions. Operators must notify clients of any changes to tariff conditions at least 15 days in advance via media, official websites, or SMS.

For added convenience, mobile operators are required to provide on-site service, including in remote and hard-to-reach areas.

The rules explicitly prohibit converting previously free services into paid ones without the subscriber’s consent and creating a negative balance when deducting fees or service costs. Subscribers also have the right to call the virtual reception of the President of Uzbekistan free of charge and at any time.

Porting of mobile numbers between networks has been drastically shortened: the process must now take no more than 20 minutes, compared to the previous eight business hours.

A new procedure for paid content services has been introduced: activation is only possible through operator mobile apps or USSD codes; automatic subscription and conversion of free services into paid services without subscriber consent is prohibited. All paid content services must initially be inactive.

The new rules will come into effect three months after their official publication.