Translated with AI
The Republic of Tajikistan has seen a significant improvement in the quality and a decrease in the cost of Internet services, the head of the Communications Service under the Government of the country, Isfandiyor Sadullo, said at a press conference today.
According to him, the average cost of 1 Mbps internet has dropped to 17.63 somoni, and the average price of 1 GB of mobile internet package is only 2.5 somoni, which is equivalent to 0.25 US dollars. At the same time, the quality of services is constantly improving: from July 15, 2025, the minimum internet speed is 15 Mbps, and by the end of the year it is planned to increase this figure to 30 Mbps. Over the next three years, the internet speed will be increased to 100 Mbps.
“This process continues and develops,” Isfandiyor Sadullo emphasized.
According to official data from the Communications Service, the total number of mobile and fixed-line Internet users in the republic has reached 5.1 million people, of which 4.9 million are mobile Internet subscribers. This figure has increased by 600 thousand users over the past six months. The total number of mobile subscribers is 7.8 million, of which 5.6 million are active users.
In the first half of 2025, 811 new base stations were installed in the country, five times more than in the same period of 2024 (157 stations). By the end of the year, another 1,000 base stations are planned to be installed to ensure stable and high-speed communications. To improve the quality of the Internet, 253.7 kilometers of new fiber-optic communication lines were laid, and the total length of trunk fiber-optic lines reached 8,530.5 kilometers. By the end of the year, another 419 kilometers are planned to be added.
Currently, the Communications Service, together with international partners, is implementing a large-scale three-year project to modernize the backbone fiber-optic networks of Tojiktelecom OJSC, 3,459 kilometers long, with 9 international connection points. The cost of the project is 50 million US dollars.
To ensure uninterrupted operation of communication networks in conditions of unstable power supply, purchases of storage batteries, diesel generators and solar panels were made. Currently, 5569 storage battery groups, 2001 diesel generators and solar panels with a total capacity of 16 MW are in operation on the networks. By the end of the year, it is planned to replace or install 1097 storage batteries and add solar panels with a capacity of 1.2 MW.
In addition, the country continues to implement fifth-generation mobile communication technologies (5G). Currently, 20 5G base stations have been installed and put into operation in Dushanbe and 2 in Khujand. By the end of the year, their number will increase to 55. It is planned to ensure a complete transition of mobile Internet to 4G and 5G standards in the next three years, which will provide access to the network to up to 80% of the country's population.
Based on the results of work for the first half of 2025, the total income of telecommunications enterprises amounted to 2.4 billion somoni, which is 14.2% more than the same period last year. The volume of postal services exceeded 8 million somoni, which is more than three times higher than the figures for the first half of 2024. In May 2025, international postal exchange with Russia was restored.
The Communications Service actively cooperates with international organizations and financial institutions, such as the International Telecommunication Union, the Regional Telecommunication Union, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Asian Development Bank. Within the framework of international events, seminars and forums, Tajik specialists are introduced to advanced technologies and innovations in the field of communications, including the use of artificial intelligence.
To reduce the cost of the Internet and increase the speed, the infrastructure of Internet exchange points (IXP) is being developed. The first such point operates in Dushanbe, and in the future it is planned to be implemented in other large cities and regional centers.
Priority tasks for the near future include continuing the digitalization of the postal sector, expanding cashless payments, building and modernizing fiber-optic lines, and developing a strategy for the development of the communications industry in Tajikistan until 2035.
“We strive to provide telecommunications services even to the most remote areas of the country so that every citizen has access to modern technologies and the digital economy,” said Isfandiyor Sadullo.
