Broadband for Central Asia and the road ahead

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1 IDD/TP (Version 1.0) ESCAP Technical Paper Broadband for Central Asia and the road ahead Economic development through improved Regional Broadband Networks Macro-level study of 4 selected broadband markets in Central Asia 0

2 IDD/TP (Version 1) ESCAP Technical PAPER Broadband for Central Asia and the road ahead Economic development through improved Regional Broadband Networks Macro-level study of 4 selected broadband markets in Central Asia 1

3 IDD/TP (Version 1.0) ESCAP Technical Paper Information and Communications Technology and Disaster Risk Reduction Division Broadband for Central Asia and the road ahead Economic development through improved Regional Broadband Networks Macro-level study of 4 selected broadband markets in Central Asia Authorized for distribution by Xuan Zengpei October 2009 Abstract The overall objective of this study is to identify country specific needs for broadband communication in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan with a view to developing a regional broadband network and to providing data and information to relevant stakeholders for further examination and discussion on this matter. This study assesses the overall ICT development in the selected countries with a focus on the telecommunication sector and examined key ICT policy and regulatory frameworks which have impacts on the development of a regional and national broadband network. It also collected data and information on Internet and broadband usage and attempted to forecast future growth as an indication of a need for a regional broadband network. The report finds that broadband telecommunication networks have been planned and developed in the four countries during the last few years and the number of broadband subscribers is increasing steadily in some countries and slowly in others. In general, the mobile market was found to be the key driver of growth of the overall telecoms market. Demand for Internet access has also shown high growth, with broadband access becoming increasingly popular. With increased demand for bandwidth of international channels, providing connectivity to the Internet seems to be growing accordingly. Based on the findings, identified challenges and opportunities, the report also made concrete recommendations mainly on the need for strengthening regional cooperation for the development of such a broadband network among countries in the sub-region. Disclaimer: The designations employed and the presentation of the material in this paper do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. References and maps obtained from external sources might not conform to the UN Editorial guidelines. Mention of a commercial company or product in this publication does not imply endorsement by ESCAP. The content in this document is the opinions and view points of the author's and not that of ESCAP or IDD and this publication has been issued without formal editing. Prepared by ESCAP consultant, Information and Communications Technology and Disaster Risk Reduction Division, ESCAP, United Nations Building, Rajdamnern Nok Avenue, Bangkok 10200, Thailand. address: escap-idd@un.org i

4 CONTENTS Abbreviation... v I. Background... 1 A. Broadband trends in Asia and the Pacific... 3 B. Tashkent workshop... 4 C. Why a feasibility study... 6 D. Regional approach vs national approach... 7 II. Objective and methodology... 9 III. Reports on the four broadband markets A. Kazakhstan Overview of the telecommunications sector Policy and regulatory environment Mobile market Internet market Broadband development International Internet bandwidth B. Kyrgyzstan Overview of the telecommunications sector Policy and regulatory environment Mobile market Internet market National backbone and broadband services International telecommunications access C. Tajikistan Overall telecommunications sector development ICT policy and program Mobile communication market Internet and broadband markets National backbones D. Uzbekistan Overall telecommunications sector development ICT policy and regulation Fixed line communication Mobile communication Internet Broadband communication International bandwidth ii

5 8. Challenges and future directions E. Issues, market, potential, and policy environment Barriers to broadband usage Feasibility of a regional broadband network Estimated development and maintenance costs Conclusions Recommendations List of Tables Table 1: Telecommunication sector performance: Kazakhstan Table 2: Status of telecommunication services market of Kazakhstan Table 3: Basic characteristics of the JSC Kyrgyztelecom network Table 4: Telecommunication sector performance: Kyrgyzstan Table 5: TAE network in Kyrgyzstan Table 6: HSM SCO routing over the territory of Kyrgyzstan Table 7: Telecommunication sector performance: Tajikistan Table 8: Telecommunication sector performance: Uzbekistan Table 9: Uzbektelecom fixed-line telephone tariffs Table 10: Estimated number of Internet users in Uzbekistan from Table 11: Estimated International bandwidth needs in Uzbekistan from Table 12: Estimated usage rate of bandwidth in Uzbekistan from 2006 to Table 13: Optimal monthly fee for customers for unlimited traffic Table 14: Optimal monthly fee for households for limited traffic Table 15: Optimal monthly fee for corporate users for limited traffic Table 16: Reasons of not having access to the Internet at home List of Figures Figure 1: Impact of broadband: selected relationships from household and individual usage perspectives... 1 Figure 2: Average advertised broadband download speed in October 2007 in selected countries... 2 Figure 3: Total broadband subscribers in December 2008 in selected countries... 3 Figure 4: Number of broadband users in selected country/area grouping, 2004 and Figure 5: New Silk-road Broadband Highway... 5 Figure 6: Existing TAE network in Central Asia... 7 Figure 7: National data transfer network in Kazakhstan Figure 8: Opportunities for further use of the JSC network in Kazakhstan for developing the Asia Europe transit route iii

6 Figure 9: Break down of communication service market segments based on total revenue in Kyrgyzstan, Figure 10: Kyrgyzstan telecommunication network Figure 11: Number of subscribers of local and mobile communication in Kyrgyzstan 25 Figure 12: Number of mobile communication subscribers per 100 people in CIS countries Figure 13: Perspective scheme of primary telecommunication network of JSC Tochiktelecom (satellite lines of communication, DAMA network) Figure 14: Backbone digital telecommunication network of Uzbekistan Figure 15: Fixed line, mobile and Internet usage rate and trends (as a per cent of the total population), Uzbekistan Figure 16: Installed and used capacity (number of subscribers) of telephone stations, Uzbekistan Figure 17: Telephone stations digitalization trends, Uzbekistan Figure 18: Mobile usage rate and user trends, Uzbekistan Figure 19: Uzbekistan Internet growth Figure 20: Internet usage rate and user trends: Uzbekistan Figure 21: Internet public access points by year, Uzbekistan Figure 22: Residential broadband subscription trends (estimates), Uzbekistan Figure 23: Residential broadband access speeds, Uzbekistan Figure 24: Corporate broadband subscription trends (estimates), Uzbekistan Figure 25: Corporate broadband access speed, Uzbekistan Figure 26: Corporate broadband Internet usage rate by regions of Uzbekistan Figure 27: International Internet bandwidth trends by year, Uzbekistan Figure 28: International bandwidth loading (Sharq Telecom ISP), Uzbekistan iv

7 ABBREVIATIONS ADB ADSL AIC ATS BBC CDMA CIS DAMA DSL DWDM EBRD ESCAP ETTH FOCL Gbps GDP GPRS ICC ICT IFC IP IP/MPLS ISDN ISP ITU JBIC Kbps LAN LCF MB Asian Development Bank asymmetric digital subscriber line Agency for Information and Communication analog telephone switchboard British Broadcasting Corporation code division multiple access Commonwealth of Independent States demand assigned multiple access digital subscriber line dense wavelength division multiplexing European Bank for Reconstruction and Development United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific Ethernet fiber optical communication line gigabit per second gross domestic product general packet radio service International Center of Communication information and communication technology International Finance Corporation Internet protocol Internet protocol/ multi-protocol label switching integrated services digital network Internet service provider International Telecommunication Union Japanese Bank for International Cooperation kilobit per second local area network linear-cable facilities megabyte v

8 Mbps MIGA MMS NGN OECD OSI PDH RCC RS SCO SDH SHDSL SMS TAE UzACI VAT VoIP WAP WLL megabit per second Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency multimedia messaging service next generation networks Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development open system interconnection plesiochronous digital hierarchy Regional Commonwealth in the field of Communications rural settlements Shanghai Cooperation Organization synchronous digital hierarchy single-pair high-speed digital subscriber line short message service Trans Asia Europe Communication and Information Agency of Uzbekistan value added tax voice over Internet protocol wireless access point wireless local loop vi

9 I. BACKGROUND An Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) report published in 2007 said that 60 per cent of net users in OECD member countries were using broadband, while, countries that had switched to fiber optic networks offered the lowest prices and best speeds. According to the report "Broadband is very quickly becoming the basic medium for service delivery on both fixed and wireless networks". 1 Broadband prices for DSL connections across the 30 OECD member countries fell by 19 per cent and access speeds increased by 29 per cent between October 2005 and Cable TV service providers were offering broadband prices and speeds along a similar trend. Ian Fogg, a telecom analyst from Jupiter Research, commented on the OECD report in a BBC article 2 saying that consumers are attracted to cheap prices due to the fragmented nature of the broadband market making the entry price of broadband critical for comparisons. Criterion Economics, a consulting firm which has provided regulatory or litigation consulting to AT&T and Nippon Telegraph & Telephone, did a study in and found that ubiquitous adoption of current-generation broadband technologies would result in a US$179.7 billion cumulative increase in gross domestic product in the United States of America, while sustaining an additional 61,000 jobs per year over the next 19 years. The study estimated that rapid and ubiquitous deployment of residential broadband technology could create 1.2 million jobs. One of the benefits information and communication technology (ICT) has brought about in the area of socio-economic development is enhanced capability to make evidence-based decisions or informed decisions, driven by expansion of access to ICT among previously unconnected segments of the population and deepening of ICT usage. The introduction of broadband technology is expected to accelerate the speed of these processes as well as widen the range of services and products users could enjoy. A recently published OECD report 4 highlighted the accelerated pace of activities and various impacts of broadband introduction among OECD countries as shown in Figure 1. Figure 1: Impact of broadband: selected relationships from household and individual usage perspectives Source: OECD 5 1

10 According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) definition, broadband refers to an Internet connection speed of 256 Kbps or higher as the total throughput in both directions. This statistical indicator is defined irrespective of type of access or type of device used for Internet access, or method of payment. As Figure 2 shows, the advertised broadband speeds vary from place to place and are governed by factors arising due to regulations, available infrastructure and demand. Figure 2: Average advertised broadband download speed in October 2007 in selected countries Average advertised broadband download speed by country - October 2007 Megabits per second Japan France Korea Sweden New Zealand Italy Finland Portugal Australia Norway Luxembourg UK Germany US Canada Source: OECD 6, Korea refers to the Republic of Korea, while US should read as USA. Improved productivity through high speed Internet access opens up a multitude of benefits for residential users, students, government organizations and businesses. A fast connection means easy access to information on the World Wide Web, and improved efficiency when negotiating and transacting. Communication through broadband telephony (Voice over Internet Protocol - VoIP) reduces communication costs while more discerning users opt for more advanced services such as video on demand to satisfy social and educational needs. However, the main allure of 24 hours a day fast connections is that more and more people are able to keep in touch and network with their peers more readily. Although the United States records the largest number of broadband subscribers in the world (see Figure 3), a recent report released by Washington DC-based Baller Herbst Law Group warns that it is falling behind on broadband deployment. The report says that aggressive actions and measures are necessary to keep the country competitive and recommends making 100 Mbps access available to all Americans by 2012 at affordable rates, with expansion to 1 Gbps by

11 Figure 3: Total broadband subscribers in December 2008 in selected countries (in millions) Source: OECD 8, Korea refers to the Republic of Korea, while US should read as USA A. Broadband trends in Asia and the Pacific The Asia and Pacific region has been at the forefront in embracing and capitalizing on broadband technologies. According to a recent article, the Philippines is the second fastest growing broadband market in the world, after Greece, with total broadband growth at 157 per cent. 9 In December 2007, Malaysia unveiled its plan to invest US$ 4.46 billion over the next 10 years to roll out high-speed broadband services across the country. 10 In India, where the broadband revolution has already started, the number of broadband subscribers is expected to reach 20 million by and drives the country to the next stage of economic growth. Although the broadband growth and dynamism in these countries are quite impressive, there are alarming signs and trends cropping up in the region. In a recent report on next generation networks (NGN), 12 the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) pointed out that 70 per cent of broadband subscribers were located in high-income countries in Among low income countries, more than 95 per cent of broadband subscribers were located in two countries: India and Viet Nam. Among the lower-middle income grouping, 2004 and 2007 group, China accounted for 94 per cent of broadband subscribers. In contrast, only 46,000 subscribers were registered among the 22 out of 50 least developed countries worldwide illustrates the increase in the number of broadband users in selected countries from 2004 to A study published in grouped the countries in Asia and the Pacific into three categories. The first group enjoys the widespread availability of broadband networks (Republic of Korea; Hong Kong,China; Japan and Singapore). The second group includes countries that plan to or is implementing broadband initiatives, such as Malaysia, China, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. The third group is characterized mainly by limited basic telephone lines across the country. The dynamic development of the second group of countries moving up the 3

12 ladder is what we have been witnessing, but most of the countries in the third category are largely left behind in bringing the benefit of reliable and robust broadband connections to communities and individuals. Figure 4: Number of broadband users in selected country/area grouping, 2004 and 2007 Source: ESCAP and ITU 14 Broadband technologies be it fiber, wireless or satellite should be encouraged to provide connectivity not only in the industrialized but also developing country context. It is no longer a luxury for the urban dwellers, but a critical foundation of an information society where an increasing level of decision-making takes place based on data, information and knowledge. B. Tashkent workshop Recognizing the importance of broadband technologies, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) organized the regional workshop on Broadband and ICT Development for Improved Communication in Central Asia 15 in July 2007 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The workshop, attended by over 100 experts from Central Asia and 4

13 other countries, was successful in raising awareness among the participants on the limitations of the current regional telecom infrastructure, which may not be able to accommodate the growing ICT needs of the region. The workshop adopted the Tashkent Statement 16 which recognized the importance of a regional broadband network in Central Asia and recommended various actions to the respective stakeholders such as governments, private sector and international, regional organizations, financial institutions and donors. The New Silk-road Broadband Highway 17 was proposed during the workshop on broadband and ICT development for improved communications in Central Asia 18 as an alternative broadband network to diversify the route and reduce network vulnerability. Although the idea was welcomed during the workshop, a concrete feasibility at the national level could not be determined. Therefore, workshop participants expressed their views on having a regional network that would be useful and much needed, although the feasibility at the national level needed to be examined carefully. Thus, based on the discussions and Tashkent Statement which was adopted during the workshop, ESCAP decided to undertake the national feasibility studies in four countries to examine if a regional broadband network would fit into an overall development of ICT sector and development frameworks of the countries, without specific endorsement of the proposed idea or going into details of the proposed diagram. Figure 5: New Silk-road Broadband Highway Source: Presentation made by NTT West and InfoCom during the Tashkent workshop in July The proposed idea was made by the NTT West and InfoCom group based on the findings and observations: Internet traffic among Central Asian countries increased very rapidly 5

14 The existing Trans Asia Europe (TAE) network was designed for telecommunications, not for broadband communication Route diversification with optical fiber cables is necessary to reduce network vulnerabilities At the same time, new backbone optical fiber cables will be required to meet rapidly growing communication needs of Central Asian countries Such a new broadband network would also benefit Asian countries, since it would represent an alternative route to Europe The group recommended that any such backbone should have enough spare capacity to accommodate future growth and put in place a loop structure to increase reliability, based on the IP-based new generation network (NGN) platform. C. Why a feasibility study During the Tashkent workshop, some member States demonstrated keen interest, while the others inquired about details of the proposal and the compatibility with national policy and regulatory frameworks. Taking into account the need for regional cooperation in materializing any regional broadband networks, the workshop recommended that international and regional agencies should promote the development of the regional broadband network in Central Asia in partnership and collaboration with governments, private sector and other stakeholders, while complementing national efforts in enhancing broadband penetration and strengthen capacity building and regional cooperation. In this regards, conducting a national feasibility study in selected Central Asian countries was recommended as a useful tool to identify country specific needs for broadband communication and to incorporate them into the process of designing and planning a regional broadband network, if it is found feasible and viable. The study is also expected to promote discussions among key stakeholders at the national and regional levels and further examination of the details of the regional broadband network in Central Asia. Thus, the overall objective of this study is to identify country specific needs for broadband communication in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan with a view of developing a regional broadband network and to provide data and information to relevant stakeholders for further examination and discussion on this matter. This study assessed the overall ICT development in the selected countries with a focus on the telecommunication sector and examined key ICT policy and regulatory frameworks which have impacts on the development of a regional and national broadband network. It also collected data and information on Internet and broadband usage and attempted to forecast future growth as an indication of a need for a regional broadband network. This study targets policy and decision makers working in the area of ICT as well as related sectors for their consideration in the relevant policy and decision-making processes. 6

15 D. Regional approach vs national approach This study takes into account complimentary and reinforcing factors at the regional and national levels in developing a regional broadband network. The very essence of the Internet requires the maximum co-operation among countries (especially neighbouring countries) in order to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of ICT usage through land-based communication networks. In this regard, it is obvious that any enhancements of network capacities directly depend on co-operation at the regional and international levels with other countries, especially, in the case of Uzbekistan, where more than 90 per cent of the Internet traffic is international Internet traffic, which transits through the territories of several countries. The development of regional broadband networks also depends on integrated and harmonized development of national networks in individual countries of the region, so that the benefits could reach its citizens. Currently, the TAE20 fiber optic cable network serves the countries in Central Asia. The construction, started in the mid-90s, passes through Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan and connects Central Asian, Eastern Asian and European regions. Initially, this network was intended mainly for the transmission of telephone traffic. Figure 6: Existing TAE network in Central Asia Source: Website of TAE 21 7

16 Source: Website of TAE 22 However, the rapid development of the Internet has correspondingly resulted in the rapid growth in the volume of international data traffic and the bandwidth of the existing TAE network was found to be insufficient to meet the growing demand. For this reason, currently many countries that are covered by the TAE networks are expanding its capacity. For example, at one of the meetings of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) the construction of a highspeed information highway with a large bandwidth and high reliability level was proposed to link China, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. During the meeting of the telecommunication authorities of CIS countries within the framework of the 38 th session of RCC (Regional Commonwealth in the field of Communications) Board that was held in Astana, Kazakhstan (12-14 November 2007), Uzbektelecom signed several agreements with Russian Federation telecom operator, Rostelecom, on further cooperation on universal intellectual communication services. 23 In one of the agreements, the parties agreed to significantly expand the capacity of existing bandwidth and provide Uzbektelecom with access to the Internet via data networks of Rostelecom. It is expected that following this agreement, and after the expansion of international bandwidth of Uzbektelecom, local Internet service providers (ISPs) will also expand their bandwidth offered to their customers. Another key achievement in 2007 was the expansion of the communication channel among Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation, despite a prolonged period to come to a settlement on this problem. It is clear that broadband communication needs in the Central Asian region are growing extremely fast resulting in the need for frequent upgrading of the international Internet bandwidth capacity. This is equally true for Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, as well as for other countries in the region because the telecommunication markets in these countries are rapidly expanding. 8

17 Presently, the international Internet bandwidth capacity of Uzbekistan is equal to 362 Mbps for a population of about 26 million people. In comparison, in Kazakhstan the bandwidth is equal to 3 Gbps and has doubled during the last year (the population of Kazakhstan is about 16 million), while in Kyrgyzstan the bandwidth is equal to 64 Mbps (the population of Kyrgyzstan is slightly more than 5 million) and in Tajikistan the licenses for the acquisition of international channels are given to several operators, but the total international Internet bandwidth does not exceed 64 Mbps. Given such relatively low Internet access speeds in the countries, except in Kazakhstan, the cost of Internet access becomes quite high and affects the development of broadband services in the domestic markets of these countries. All of this suggests that the expansion of a regional broadband network is a fundamental element to satisfy the growing broadband communication needs in the mentioned countries. The rapid growth of Internet usage also suggests that the issue of implementing the projects for connecting the Asian and European countries with broadband communications networks is very urgent. The countries in the region fully realize the necessity of such networks due to the above and other reasons, and are equally interested in such networks. The advantages of the regional approach is that it will assist in balancing the interests of each country, which can be expressed quite independently by each country by taking into account the internal bandwidth needs. The main issue here is the continuity of all possible benefits for each of the participating countries and their interdependence, which would require taking into account the interest of neighbours and the region as a whole. The active participation of each country is a prerequisite in order to benefit from any advantages of a project such as the above mentioned new Silk Road Broadband Highway project. II. OBJECTIVE AND METHODOLOGY In order to provide an overall situational analysis on the above-mentioned needs, data and information, materials and documents were gathered from various sources including the government agencies which regulate the ICT sector as well as agencies which collect statistics on telecommunication development. In terms of the development of broadband access in the selected countries, data was made available by the following agencies: JSC Kyrgyztelecom National Statistical Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic National Communication Agency of the Kyrgyz Republic Information and Communications Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan Joint-stock Company Kazakhtelecom Statistics Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan State Statistics Committee of the Republic of Tajikistan JSC Tochiktelecom Communication and Information Agency of Uzbekistan (UzACI) 24 9

18 State Statistics Committee (Uzbekistan) 25 Ministry of Higher and Secondary Special Education (Uzbekistan) 26 The key information requested from communication providers included statistics on users for the last three years, spectrum and price of services as well as details of further plans for development of broadband technologies. The data for the statistical tables in this report were collected from the most publicly available government and business statistical materials. Analysis of the collected data was done by comparing the findings with the indicators of previous years. Identified changes and trends in telecom/ict development are illustrated by respective figures and tables. The numbers in the tables are given as of 1 January of the year followed by what is mentioned in the table unless otherwise indicated. An Internet content analysis of the main communication providers was also carried out to provide a description of the situation, as well as an analysis of information and news websites (sites of official ICT sector regulators, of Internet providers, etc.). III. REPORTS ON THE FOUR BROADBAND MARKETS A. Kazakhstan 1. Overview of the telecommunications sector At the present time in Kazakhstan, the following basic segments of the telecommunication services market have been developed: cellular communication, local telephone communication, long-distance and international communication, and data transmission (including Internet). As of 1 January 2006, the revenues of communication companies were as follows: wireless communication (48.7 per cent), long-distance/international telephone communication (27.3 per cent), and local telephone communication (12.9 per cent). Over the last five years, dynamic development of the telecommunications sector has been observed, and its growth rates exceed the GDP growth rates of the country and average from 25 up to 30 percent annually. 27 It is worth noting that sustainable positive development of the sector will promote development of the society and strengthening of the security of the country as well as making the sector a major source of sustainable economic growth. For the next three years it is expected that the average annual growth rates of the sector will be 31 per cent, influenced by several important factors such as readjustment of local communication tariffs, positioning of tariffs for long-distance (in-zone) telephone communication depending on growth in traffic of this kind of communication, increase in the share of cellular communication services, other highly remunerative services, and development of new telecommunication services including domestic satellite communication. According to the Statistics Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan, communication companies over the period January - December 2007 provided 14.5 per cent more services in terms of total services provided by all communication companies, calculated based on prices which were comparable between providers as well as with the same period of the previous year. The income structure of telecommunication services at the national level is broken down as follows: 10

19 mobile communication 51.4 per cent fixed communication 24.9 per cent data transmission and Internet 8.7 per cent IP-telephony 1.7 per cent prepaid TV services 3,9 per cent other kinds of communication 9.4 per cent High growth rates in comparison with the previous years were posted by companies providing mobile communication, data transmission services and other Internet services, as well as transmission of data through satellite (TV). The highest growth rate for these services was observed in 2005, which was 85 per cent higher than the same period of the previous year. High growth rates, typical of communication services, characterize this market segment as the most rapidly developing segment of the telecommunication market. At present, 379 licenses have been granted for the data communication segment (including Internet access). In terms of the access in rural areas, within the framework for installation of telephones in rural settlements (RS) with more than 50 residents, 28 JSC Kazakhtelecom provided 395 villages with communication capabilities in Thus, installation of telephones in all rural settlements with a population of more than 50 people has been completed. At the time this report was written, only villages with a population below 50 people were without telephones. JSC Kazakhtelecom, the leading communication operator in Kazakhstan, provides services to more than 2.95 million subscribers of fixed line communications. Tele-density in Kazakhstan on average is phones per 100 person (in 2005 it was 17.3). 29 The level of mobile communication penetration in 2007 was 60 per cent. 30 Table 1 below shows an overview of the telecommunication sector performance in Kazakhstan in comparison with the same income group and world averages. Table 1: Telecommunication sector performance: Kazakhstan Indicator Telephone Mainlines (per 1000 people) International voice traffic (minutes per person) Mobile telephone subscribers (per 1000 people) Internet users (per 1000 people) Broadband subscribers (per 1000 people) Kazakhstan (2000) Kazakhstan (2005) Lower middle income countries average (2000) Lower middle income countries average (2005) World average (2000) World average (2005) n/a

20 International Internet bandwidth (bits per person) Price basket for residential fixed line (US$ a month) Price basket for mobile telephone service (US$ a month) Price basket for Internet service (US$ a month) Source: World Bank n/a n/a n/a 11.5 n/a 10.2 n/a 10.5 n/a 15.8 n/a 16.8 n/a 22.0 The current local telecommunication deployment exceeds 2.6 million lines which constitutes 65 per cent of maximum available capacity. It is projected that by the end of 2008 the total number of basic telephone sets will increase to about million. Table 2: Status of telecommunication services market of Kazakhstan Fixed communication subscribers (number of persons) Mobile telephone subscribers (number of persons) Fixed telephone density (per 100 people) Mobile communication density (per 100 people) 2,430,000 3,091, ,800 12,000, Revenue from telecommunication services Source: RCC Statistical Factbook and JSC Kazakhtelecom (billion tenge) (million US dollars) In terms of technical development of the sector, the primary goals include the creation of digital infrastructure in support of computerization, development of modern telecommunication infrastructure and its integration into infrastructure of other countries as a major factor of national economic growth, growth of business and intellectual activities, and strengthening of the respect, recognition and prestige of the country with in the international community. Plans are in place to expand the following services with high end technology during the period : Satellite-based telephony Mobile telephony Internet access 12

21 2. Policy and regulatory environment As a result of the stage-by-stage liberalization in the telecommunication service market which began at the end of 2004, the preconditions for development of a truly competitive environment have been created. During the liberalization process, actions were taken to adjust tariffs and eliminate cross subsidization (price differentiation by market segments to compensate losses due to below-cost prices offered at certain targeted segments) to create economic incentives for development of competition in every segment of the telecommunication service market, including in rural areas. In order to develop the telecommunications sector, the Telecommunications Sector Development Program of the Republic of Kazakhstan for was adopted. 34 Further development of the sector as one of the basic conditions for increasing the competitiveness of the economy, will allow the country to build a foundation to become one of the 50 most competitive countries in the world by For achievement of the specified goal of the program, the following priority objectives shall be achieved: Improvement of governmental regulations of the telecommunication sector in the area of research into further development of the sector; connection of communication operators; 35 development of fixed and mobile communication; development of Internet; 36 provision of universal telecommunication services for the population. Innovative technological development and maintenance of the technical base of the sector including distribution of telecommunication numbering resources; improvement of radio-frequency spectrum distribution; development of national satellite communication; improvement of the system of standardization and certification; improving the system of training and retraining of human resources in the sector; carrying out intelligence activities on telecommunication networks including activities which lead to prevention of crime in the sector and for drawing up of legislation and regulations for review and investigation of organizations and installations which provide registration as well as identification of private data of subscribers. 37 The implementation of the Program in Kazakhstan is expected to result in the following: Improvement of the system of governmental regulations; transition to a completely competitive telecommunications market without negative impact on availability of communication services for the population; national information security improvement; Enhanced competitive environment in telecommunications market providing opportunities for development of local access networks and increased markets for new communication services; Uninterrupted functioning of the telecommunication sector is achieved; Access of the population to basic telecommunication services is expanded; Spectrum of given telecommunication services is expanded; Positioning of Kazakhstan as a leader in the telecommunications sector in the Central Asia region. Kazakhstan becomes an international transit hub for significant information flow between South-East Asia Europe, and Central Asia Russian Federation; 13

22 Normative legal base is created in the field of telecommunications for improved efficiency of governmental regulation in the area of telecommunications; Enabling environment for investment in telecommunication infrastructure, both shortterm and long-term, is created; The overall performance of the sector has been improved and structural disproportions in consumption of communication services is reduced; System of training and retraining of human resources in the area of telecommunications is set up during the dynamic development of the sector. The implementation of the Program will aim at achieving the following benchmarks by the end of 2008: Fixed telephone line density is 23 per 100 people in the country. Mobile communication density is 50 per 100 people in the country. Internet user density is 10 per 100 people in the country. Level of local telecommunication network digitalization is 80 per cent. Revenue of communication operators is 4-5 per cent of GDP. Revenue of telecommunication services per one person is US$ Investment into telecommunication sector per person is US$ The Program implementation will enable the achievement by 2012 of the following key indicators, typical for the 50 most competitive countries of the world: 40 telephone lines per 100 people (it was 17 in 2005) 90 users of mobile communication per 100 people (it was 36 in 2005) 40 Internet users per 100 people (it was 1.34 in 2004) 38 The development of mass broadband Internet access and development of local Internet content are also proposed, while work on improvement of principles and mechanisms of tariff regulation for the purpose of their reduction, including Internet access services and mobile communication services, will be continued. 3. Mobile market There are four communication operators providing mobile communication services in the country while barriers for entering the market are very high. The types of services provided are almost identical for all mobile communication operators and they compete among themselves regarding the tariffs for provided services. In comparison with 2004, the number of mobile communication subscribers has increased by 250 per cent. The number of cellular communication subscribers in 2007 was about 12 million; thus the density was 78 subscribers per 100 people. 14

23 4. Internet market In 2007 the number of Internet subscribers, according to the reports of the communication operators, was about 700,000, including about 270,000 people that enjoyed broadband Internet access; 430,000 people used dial-up access. According to the data of an independent marketing agency, ICT Marketing, in 2007 there were 1.6 million Internet users which was equivalent to about 11 per cent of the population. 39 One of the most significant reasons for high Internet tariffs is linked to high costs that providers have to pay in order to get access to the world Internet resources. 40 Users from Russian Federation find 80 per cent of their information using internal Russian Internet resources which are very cheap, while providers in Kazakhstan use international or foreign (e.g., Russian) Internet capacity and sell it to local subscribers for a fee with a sizable margin. Therefore, over 90 per cent of the users in Kazakhstan use external, out-of-kazakhstan, resources linking the problem of high cost of Internet in Kazakhstan to the need for development of domestic content. The issue of increasing the locally relevant content with a view of enhancing its attractiveness to ordinary users is one of the key issues, which requires special attention on the part of the Government. In the opinion of experts in Kazakhstan, there are various reasons constraining the development and use of the Internet in the country which include limited local content, and the low level of overall computerization in the country. For the purpose of development of the Internet segment, private companies are also making efforts. JSC Kazakhtelecom, for example, plans to carry out a comprehensive set of actions such as development of electronic payments, formation of a hosting market, development and maintenance of local Internet resources, and setting up of Internet Data Centers. The increase in speed from 128 Kbps. up to 256 Kbps for broadband access to Internet external resources (Megaline Hit service) is planned. Speed of Internet access to domestic Kazakhstan resources will be at the level of 512 Kbps. At the same time the company is planning to maintain the same level of user fee Broadband development The process of modernization has reached all levels and components of the national telecommunication system in Kazakhstan. Over the past few years essential changes have taken place, laying down the foundation for a full-scale update and expansion of the telecommunications network. In general, the majority of users still choose out-of-date dial-up access, instead of modern ADSL. However, the trend is catching up. In the first six months of 2007 the number of ADSLsubscribers of JSC Kazakhtelecom, for instance, grew by more than twice. The growth was 326 per cent, in comparison with the same period of the previous year. The process of transition to Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) is mainly impeded by purely technical reasons. Many people cannot be connected to the service because of poor status of telephone systems since old cable systems cannot provide transfer of a high-quality signal in accordance with adopted standards. A low level of computerization in the country in general also has an impact. 15

24 JSC Kazakhtelecom has about 70 per cent of the broadband Internet access market, and most likely, in the coming years it will continue to do so. According to the official website of JSC Kazakhtelecom, tariffs for broadband Internet access are as follows: One-time fee for connection to a dedicated line is Tenge 53,922.00; for an ADSL connection is Tenge 14, Monthly subscription fee depends on traffic varies from Tenge 1,368 to Tenge 564, (incoming/outgoing traffic of GB). Fee for the next 10 MB of incoming/outgoing traffic ranges from Tenge to Tenge The monthly subscription fee for a tariff plan that does not depend on a set limit varies depends on the speed of the connection (32 2,048 Kbps) from Tenge 20, to Tenge 841, In 2008 the Agency for Information and Communication (AIC) plans to compel the providers of broadband Internet access services to ensure speeds equal to or above 256 Kbps.. Various initiatives have been implemented to increase the speed. Within the framework of development of NGN, projects on convergence of the fixed and mobile networks with use of a joint infrastructure are planned in Wide application of wireless technologies, such as WLL CDMA, Wi-Fi, WiMax, is also planned for providing services for broadband Internet access. The construction of a wireless access network on the basis of the given technologies is two-staged. During the first stage ( ) the work on construction of wireless networks in the regional capitals of Kazakhstan is to be carried out while the second will involve improvements in regional cities, regional capitals and villages. Use of wireless access is cost-effective in places with no ground infrastructure as it is easier to launch a telecommunications network in a short period of time. Thus, in the future, the implementation of the project will permit the followings: Roaming services between data transmission networks of various operators for Wi-Fi Hot Spots Hot Spots for data transmission services and Internet access in places with predicted high traffic, i.e., airports, business centers, large hotels in Astana, Almaty, Аtyrau, etc. A uniform system of network monitoring and resource management Security systems for clients and networks Rapid launch of wireless access networks in rural areas with poorly developed telecommunications infrastructure In 2007, 87,654 new subscribers were connected to the network in the regional capitals through CDMA technology. The use of wireless communication technologies is proposed for further development of rural communications and development of the national data transmission network will continue. The network is expected to cover all regional capitals of the country. At the municipal level, most parts of the city networks are connected by Metro Ethernets which are intended basically for Internet traffic transfer at the second level of the open system interconnection (OSI) model, with a throughput of 1 Gbp. In order to provide full-fledged 16

25 services on the urban networks, Metro Ethernet network cores need to be upgraded to a throughput of at least 10 Gbps. with support for IP/MPLS to pave the way for providing services at the third level of the OSI model. In the immediate timeframe, Metro Ethernets will replace the Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) networks and bare the entire load of data transmission and Internet, voice and video traffic. Wide application of wireless technologies including WLL (Wireless Local Loop) such as CDMA, Wi-Fi, WiMax for broadband Internet access services are also planned. Development of the data communication network on the basis of Metro Ethernet technologies (JSC Kazakhtelecom) will lead to lower tariffs for broadband access services at least by 30 per cent. At the national level, fiber optical communication lines of the National super-mainline covers almost all of the country in the following areas: (a) Zapadnaya FOCL (Fiber Optical Communication Line), of which the construction was completed in 2001, passes through the regional capitals Shymkent-Kyzylorda-Aktobe- Atyrau. In total, 24 settlements are provided with digital communication; (b) Vostochnaya FOCL, of which the construction was completed in 2003, covers Taldykorgan-Ust-Каmenogorsk-Pavlodar-Аstana-Коksheatau-Petropavlovsk. The FOCL line provides 29 settlements with digital communication; (c) Severnaya FOCL runs through the following cities: Petropavlovs- Коstonay-Аktobe. More than 16 settlements have been digitalized, of which the construction was completed in 2005; (d) Kaspiyskaya FOCL (Makat-Tengiz-Aktau.) of which the construction was also completed in 2005, connects facilities of Zapadnaya FOCL by digital channels with the regional capital Aktau. Creation of the fiber optical mainline ring enables operators to provide the followings: Quality long-distance digital communication Optimized international traffic among the three ICC s (International Center of Communication) 43 Elimination of peak hour losses Improvement of traffic quality due to use of digital paths and shorter routes Expansion of a spectrum of services including data communication services and access to the Internet Accommodation of transit traffic from China and the countries in Central Asia, Russian Federation and Europe Replacement of analog communication lines after construction of the mainline SDH ring The National Information Super Main Line is functioning at 94 per cent of its capacity. This means that increasing the throughput of the network is critical to meet current and future traffic levels. With this purpose in mind, JSC Kazakhtelecom is implementing a project to construct high capacity transfer lines based on free strands of fiber optical cable, with application of dense wavelength digital multiplexing (DWDM) technology (dense spectral multiplexing). The passband of optical fiber channels are expanded greatly (dozens of times) by this technology. 17

26 Capacity of the installed DWDM system at the present time is 8 optical channels with a speed of 10 Gbps. each. Thus, there is an opportunity for increasing it up to 32 optical channels by adding some equipment. There are plans to increase the channel transfer speeds up to 40 Gbps by At the end of 2007 a DWDM system was put into operation on the sections between Almaty Shymkent Аktobe and Astana Petropavlovsk Коstanai Аktobe. Plans are in place for a DWDM system for the sections between Almaty Ust Kamenogorsk Astana to be implemented during the first quarter of Continuation in 2008 of the project for construction of the modern high-speed main network Internet Protocol/ Multi-Protocol Label Switching (IP/MPLS) will increase the throughput between the sections of Astana, Almaty and Аktobe up to 20 Gbps and up to 2 Gbps for other cities in Kazakhstan. In the period of , the throughput will be increased to 40 Gbps. 44 Figure 7: National data transfer network in Kazakhstan Source: JSC Kazakhtelecom 45 Comment: Phase 1: year increase of network capacity to 10 Gbps based on DWDM; Phase 2: year modernization of network section between Almaty Astana Aktobe to 40 Gbps. Red line 10 Gbps, blue dotted line 1 Gbps. 6. International Internet bandwidth The main characteristic of Kazakhstan is its geopolitical location on the cross roads of historically developed caravan routes between Europe and Asia. The development of telecommunications networks, including the main network, is focused on increasing the throughput to service the growing long-distance, international and transit traffic as well as to meet demands of the growing volume of data transmission. In 2007 JSC Kazakhtelecom 18

27 developed an Action Plan for commencing the work on accommodating the transit traffic increase in the Asia Europe direction. At the beginning of 2007 the telecommunications network of JSC Kazakhtelecom had interfaces or points of connection with networks in the neighbouring countries of China, Russian Federation, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. Expansion of existing and construction of new interfaces with the neighbouring countries in the long run will develop the capacity of JSC Kazakhtelecom. Implementation of such projects has already started. In 2007 the existing interface with China Telecom was upgraded from STM-4 to STM-16. Construction of linearcable facilities (LCF) FOCL from Uralsk up to the border with Russian Federation to link up with the networks of alternative operators such as RF JSC STSS Sovintel and JSC Synterra has been completed. The fiber optical cable to interface in Khorgos with China Unicom, which is an alternative operator from China, has been laid. DWDM equipment is being bought with the intention of improving the interfaces with JSC Rostelecom and АК Uzbektelecom. Figure 8: Opportunities for further use of the JSC network in Kazakhstan for developing the Asia Europe transit route Source: АО Kazahtelecom 46 Comment: Green line: CP STM 16 at present; Blue line: installation of DWDM in 2007; Violet line: installation of DWDM in Aimed at development of interface facilities of JSC Kazakhtelecom networks with neighboring networks, a series of agreements have been signed between the following partners in order to accommodate the Asia-Europe transit route growth: 47 Agreement with JSC Uzbektelecom on construction of the second border interface in the area of the settlement of Beineu 19

28 Agreement with JSC MTT and China Telecom on creation of a tripartite alliance for granting transit capacity Agreement with JSC STSS Sovintel and China Unicom on creation of a tripartite alliance for granting transit capacity Agreement with China Network Communications on construction of a joint interface Agreement with Company TransTeleCom (Russian Federation) on construction of a joint interface B. Kyrgyzstan 1. Overview of the telecommunications sector The communication service sector is one of the most dynamically developing service sectors in the country. In 2006 telecommunication sector revenues reached Som 5.4 billion and almost tripled in comparison with During the first 10 months of 2007 the communication sector revenues reached Som 7.32 billion, which is 1.8 fold higher versus the same period in Local telecommunication, basically, is provided by JSC Kyrgyztelecom which controls 88 per cent of the local communication market. The communication sector has essentially strengthened its influence on national economic development and has surpassed the energy sector in terms of revenue generation, investment into network and service capacity, and quality of service delivery. Communication operators are constantly introducing new technologies and expanding the range of existing communication services, resulting in more technically advanced, effective, and more convenient communication services in the country. Figure 9: Break down of communication service market segments based on total revenue in Kyrgyzstan, ,9% 9,8% 36,3% 48% Fixed communication Data transfer, telematic Mobil communication Other Source: National Communication Agency(NCA) of Kyrgyzstan 48 20

29 In 2006 the telecommunication operators attracted more than US$ 80.8 million worth of investments which is 3.5 times higher than investments in the sector during Communication is the second strongest sector, after trade, which is experiencing a positive percentage growth as a contributor to GDP (in 2002 the proportion of the ICT sector within the GDP structure grew by 2 per cent and 3.1 per cent in 2006). Total expenditure in the sector grew from about Som million in 2001 to Som million in 2006 (29.2 per cent increase in real figures). The number of companies that use IT increased between the period 2001 and 2006 by 21.8 per cent. According to the National Communication Agency of Kyrgyzstan, as of January 2008, there were 293 operators with a total of 436 licenses to deliver telecommunication and postal services. 49 Communication operators provide basic telephone services, using mobile communication as well as wire communication lines and networks. In large cities of the country, including Bishkek, there are Internet cafes and dial-up Internet access available for Internet users. However, based on the research done for this report on the available ICT services, it is apparent that there is a significant digital gap among cities, especially when comparing Bishkek with cities in other parts of the country. According to the 2005 data, over 500 villages are without telephones. Figure 10: Kyrgyzstan telecommunication network Source: EBRD 50 According to the statistics presented at an ICT Conference in Bishkek, 51 in 2006 the level of local network digitalization was 46 per cent (in 2005 it was 43.6 per cent); the total utilized 21

30 capacity of the analog telephone exchanges of JSC Kyrgyztelecom was 530,904 telephone numbers, including 225,444 digital numbers. The Tele-density is 8.4 telephone sets per 100 residents while the digitalization level of the backbone network is 94 per cent. 52 Table 3: Basic characteristics of the JSC Kyrgyztelecom network Length of telephone channels (thousands of channels/km) 3, , , , including cable main lines satellite main lines radio relay main lines 1, , , , Length of digital long-distance and in-zone telephone channels (thousands of channels/km) 2, , , , including optical cables as a percentage 9% 12% 9% 8% Source: ICT Conference, Bishkek 2007 As an indication of the overall ICT development in the country, the table below compares the telecommunication sector performance in Kyrgyzstan with global averages as well as with the relevant income group. Table 4: Telecommunication sector performance: Kyrgyzstan Indicator Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan (2000) (2005) Low Income Countries Average (2000) Low Income Countries Average (2005) World Average (2000) World Average (2005) Telephone Mainlines (per 1000 people) International voice traffic (minutes per person) Mobile telephone subscribers (per 1000 people) Internet users (per 1000 people)

31 Broadband subscribers (per 1000 people) International Internet bandwidth (bits per person) Price basket for residential fixed line (US$ a month) Price basket for mobile telephone service (US$ a month) Price basket for Internet service (US$ a month) Source: World Bank 53 n/a n/a n/a 6.4 n/a 9.6 n/a 10.5 n/a 12.0 n/a 30.1 n/a 22.0 Over the last few years the following growth trends in the telecommunication market have been observed: Significant growth in the mobile communication market, both in terms of quantity and in terms of revenue Growth in telecommunication and multimedia services provided on various equipment (mobile telephones, computers and TVs) Transition from network services (telephony, Internet access and paid TV) to active development of a wide range of multimedia-services (audio, data and picture services) based on the dynamic growth of mobile communication as well as broadband technologies, such as ADSL, Ethernet, 2.5G, 3G, WiMax, EV-DO, DVB-Т/H Reorientation of some players towards the new service markets Narrowing down of specialization or re-profiling of businesses The trend of formation of universal network operators or universal telecommunicationmedia operators, re-orientation of other players towards the specialized production and distribution of content is obvious as well as occurrence of networks that do not depend on a type, i.e., universal service-providers. Virtual operator type business models are gradually being developed. For different levels of land-line networks and wireless networks, new technologies and formats of data communication are being developed including ADSL for telephone lines, Ethernet (ETTH) and HFC for cable connections, DVB-Т/H (Digital video broadcasting) as a new format for on-air Television, and Wi-Fi and WiMax as wireless networks for data communication. In terms of technologies, construction of new networks for the end clients (ETTH, ADSL, and 3G) are on going as well as the construction of universal multiservice NGN networks with high throughput and functionality that integrate capacities of telecommunication, cable and wireless networks. In comparison with the previous years, the process of development of telecommunication infrastructure is at the beginning stage of steady expansion. In 2007, as well as in 2006 a 23

32 significant growth in interest has been expressed by existing operators, by new operators and by telecommunication agencies in rendering the following services: data transmission and telematic 54 services; local telephone communication; international, long-distance telephone communication; designing, construction and installation of networks, lines, construction, systems and electric communication devices. The number of applications for these kinds of activities is constantly growing. 2. Policy and regulatory environment Realizing the importance of ICT, the Government of Kyrgyzstan, in 2002, developed and adopted the National Strategy on Information and Communication Technologies for development of Kyrgyzstan 55 and an Implementation Plan. The Kyrgyzstan law dated 28 December 2006, On amendments and modification of the Law of the Kyrgyz Republic on guarantees and freedom of access to information and some other normative legal acts was enacted to facilitate access to information. One of the regulation methods of any given market is licensing. The state supervision over the licensed activity of communication operators in Kyrgyzstan, according to the Law of the Kyrgyz Republic on electric and postal communication, is carried out by the National Communication Agency of Kyrgyzstan. Furthermore, the Communication Agency, as the sector regulator, sets up the clear order of conflict settlement and conflict resolution among operators, among telecommunication services, among users, etc. The current system of telecommunication market legal regulation includes normative legal acts of both general and specific nature. These acts all together regulate the processes of formation and development of the telecommunication service market, activity of participants in the market, and establish powers of the government concerning regulation of telecommunication services market. The special acts related to regulation of the given market include the normative legal acts, which cover the following issues: licensing, certification, connection of networks, tariff regulation, and distribution of limited resources. 3. Mobile market The segment of mobile communication recorded the most significant growth among various ICT sectors; one and a half (1.5) fold annual growth in revenue was observed as a result. In total, 85 per cent of Kyrgyzstan is geographically covered by mobile communication. At the beginning of 2006 there were more than 560,000 mobile subscribers who amount to more than 10 per cent of the entire population of Kyrgyzstan. 56 At the end of 2006 there were about 900,000 mobile subscribers. For the first nine months of 2007 the number reached 1.68 million people equalling 33.6 per cent of the entire population. According to the National Communication Agency of Kyrgyzstan, in 2007 the number of mobile communication subscribers reached 2.2 million representing 42.5 per cent of the entire population. This means that the number of mobile communication subscribers almost doubles every year. It is evident that the quantity and quality of provided services have also increased. Nine operators have obtained licenses to sell mobile communication services while only four operators (BiMoCom Ltd., SkyMobile Ltd., Katel Ltd., Аktel Ltd) are currently operational; the others are still in the development stage. The key players in the mobile communication 24

33 market are: Bitel GSM (owned by BiMoCom) with 78 per cent market share, Megacom (owned by SkyMobile) with 10 per cent market share, Katel (owned by Katel) with 8 per cent market share, and Fonex (owned by Aktel) controlling the remaining 4 per cent of the market. Figure 11: Number of subscribers of local and mobile communication in Kyrgyzstan Local telephone communication Mobile communication Source: National Communication Agency of Kyrgyzstan 57 In 2007 the new operator Nexi (Sotel Ltd.) entered the mobile communication market in Kyrgyzstan, making it the first mobile network to provide new 3G services. The 3G services are provided in the following oblasts: Chui, Issyk-Kul, Osh, and Jalalabat. One of the noticeable characteristics of mobile communication in Kyrgyzstan is a significant concentration of subscribers in Chui and Issyk-Kul oblasts in the cities of Osh, Talas, Jalalabat, Batken, Naryn, Karakol and partially in the other oblasts. 4. Internet market Over the last 5 years, the revenue of the Internet services sector demonstrated high growth rates, having increased in 2006 almost by 6 folds, compared to In 2006 the size of the Internet service market reached Som 320 million. In Kyrgyzstan, the number of Internet service provider s tends to increase every year along with the number of subscribers and Internet users in general. In 2007 the number of service providers reached 56 while the number of subscribers reached 22,003 including approximately 8,693 corporate users (educational institutions, companies, agencies, and organizations). The total number of people using the Internet in 2006 was estimated to be 600,000 people 58. According to a forecast, the total number of Internet users by 2010 will equate to one third of the population of the country

34 Socio-economic challenges have posed various constraints for Internet development in the country. Over 60 per cent of the people reside in mountainous areas, where installation of telephones and introduction of Internet requires significant capital investments. At present, only per cent of the rural population has Internet access. Geographically, the activities of data communication operators and of telematic service providers are concentrated in Bishkek. The total number of allocated Internet access lines (telecommunication channels/frequencies rented by operators to provide services) in Kyrgyzstan reached 733 in 2005 while the total capacity of the international Internet access channels is 33.4 Mbps. The Internet access services offered by the four main market share holders (JSC Kyrgyztelecom, Elcat, Asiainfo, and Saima Telecom) include ADSL (xdsl) and dial-up Internet connections, as well as IP Telephony (ISDN Internet access and Internet cards are also available, as well as domain name registration, hosting and satellite communications). ADSL connections cost between US$ 15 and US$ 1,615 for speeds ranging between 64 Kbps to 8 Mbps depending on traffic (download-upload rates) and may involve extra fees of up to US$ 1 per GB for excess traffic depending on the package and provider. Dial-up connections cost between US$ 5 to US$ 64 depending on the type of package (with or without prepaid limits) and is about US$ 0.1 to US$ 0.8 per hour depending on the time of day. IP Telephony costs between US$ 0.11 and US$ 64 per minute depending on time of day and service provider. Internet cards are available at rates ranging from US$ 3.8 to US$ 6.4 depending on the face value of the cards (5 hours; 10 hours). As a whole, Internet access development is a priority area for many providers. JSC Kyrgyztelecom, in order to satisfy growing demand, is increasing network capacities and expanding the capacity of external channels for Internet access. A strategic area of expansion of broadband access to the Internet is based on ADSL technologies. To improve and develop access to communication services, the use of new wireless technologies such as WiMax has also been proposed by experts. 5. National backbone and broadband services Telecommunication infrastructure is unequally developed and does not cover the entire country. Installation of telephones and introduction of Internet, particularly in mountainous areas, will require significant capital investments. Access to basic communication services is restricted by the location of the lines and by the available Internet access facilities especially in rural areas. In Kyrgyzstan the existing network of telecommunications is based on a SDH ring (see Figure 10), mainly utilizing wireless relays or microwave networks to connect all regional capitals. There are some fiber-optical cables in limited parts of the country. The existing network is adequate for providing the basic services (including voice and dial-up Internet access) in urban areas, but with some inconveniences. The first digital wireless relay network project in Kyrgyzstan based on a synchronous digital hierarchy 60 (SDH) is under construction. The digital wireless relay SDH structure, consisting of 16 ringed wireless relay stations, is used as a basis for the network. The speed of the digital communication network on the ring is 155 Mbps, which provides 1,830 telephone channels. The equipment for the wireless relay Plesiochronous Digital Hierarchy (PDH) structure 26

35 was installed on the other seven stations, which were not included in the ring, with input and output capacity of 2 Mbps. The digital wireless relay stations cover the most important areas of the country. Therefore, in the event of infrastructure development in any region, it is possible to deploy reliable communication lines of any kind easily and quickly. The project component on establishment of digital telephone stations included installation of digital telephone exchanges 61, linked into a uniform network all over the country, and covered the capital, the regional capitals and large cities. Inter-station connections in Bishkek are done through fiber optical cables based on SDH technology; connections between the cities of Bishkek, Osh, Jalalabat, Karakol, Cholpon-Ata, Talas and Naryn are based on wireless relay systems, with the use of SDH technology as well. According to the project, the fiber optical lines in Bishkek were laid in a ring, connecting 10 digital stations that were set up during the first telecommunications project 62 and 2 previously existing stations with 24 fiber cables. The configuration of the network is based on SDH STM-4 with 622 Mbps throughput, which provides each of the stations with input-output capacity standard flows of 2 Mbps. A certain amount of the capacity of the entire network is reserved for future development of the existing digital telephone exchanges and other telecommunication needs. This project has created a robust modern telecommunication network in Kyrgyzstan and has become a crucial factor in improving the telecommunications system through introduction and development of new telecommunication services in the region. At the present time in Kyrgyzstan, the wireless alternative known as xdsl-connection, which is a broadband wireless access method (a popular way of high-speed connection to the Internet), is successfully developing. Each subscriber connected to this type of access system, alongside with Internet access, can take advantage of the wider spectrum of offered services including high-speed consolidation of Ethernet-networks, high-quality digital data communication, voice and videoconferencing as well as regular telecommunication. 6. International telecommunications access Since the Internet has been gaining popularity and as the national IT infrastructure is being constructed to expand access to various ICT services, it can be concluded that the demand for access to international bandwidth is also growing steadily. At present, the TAE (Fiber Optical Cable System Trans Asia Europe, see Figure 6 for more details) runs through the country as follows: Table 5: TAE network in Kyrgyzstan Country Sub-segment From To Current Status C 1 Kyrgyzstan Border Kazakhstan (to Sarybulak) Bishkek in service C 2 Border Kazakhstan (to Merke) Bishkek in service Source: Website of TAE 63 27

36 According to JSC Kyrgyztelecom, in view of the growth in demand for Internet access it is possible to assume, that by 2012 Internet traffic will use a higher speed level (about 622 Mbps) and 70 per cent of Internet channels will be rented from Russian Federation. The total throughput on external channels of Internet access in 2005 was 200,533.4 Mbps. At present, it is not possible to assess the potential interest of the neighbouring countries in using transit channels over the territory of Kyrgyzstan because the operators, as a rule, do not reveal such information. Information on actual traffic dynamics, whereby it would be possible to define the volume of potential interest, is also not publicly available. Basic interests in establishing international transit channels over the territory of Kyrgyzstan have been repeatedly expressed by Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and China during discussions at different levels of representation. In the framework of SCO (The Shanghai Cooperation Organization) the construction of a high-speed information main line (HSM SCO) has been proposed shows the map with the HSM SCO routing over the territory of Kyrgyzstan and is further explained in Table 6. Table 6: HSM SCO routing over the territory of Kyrgyzstan Name of the neighbouring country Interface points of the border fiber optic line Name of the internal points of interface Name of the interface points in the neighbouring country Internal sections to be determined for the WIM Already constructed sections China Sary Tash Kashkar - Uzbekistan Оsh Andijan - Sections that require new construction Оsh Sary Tash Irkeshtam Kyrgyz China border (262 Km) Оsh Kyrgyz Uzbek border (4-5 Km) Cost of the FOLC construction Roughly 5,000,000 dollars Roughly 100,000 dollars 28

37 All over the specified FOLC section (regions depicted in Table 6) the installation of a 24- strand fiber optical cable is planned. 64 C. Tajikistan 1. Overall telecommunications sector development In Tajikistan, after sovereignty was obtained in September 1991, the civil conflict of the mid 90 s caused huge damage to the national economy. The country s development was thrown back several decades. The telecommunication infrastructure inherited from the former Soviet Union was almost completely destroyed and the remaining equipment has exhausted its capacity. Other significant impacts on the telecommunications network included energy crisis and natural calamities, which occurred in Tajikistan in recent years (mud floods, avalanches and flooding). Due to the civil conflict and economic hardships, a significant number of highly skilled personnel migrated out of the country; in particular 4,426 experts involved in the telecommunication sector left the country. The above-stated reasons, along with the lack of budget and financing alternatives, have constrained efforts to attract local and foreign investments into the telecommunication market in Tajikistan and have caused significant delays in telecommunication infrastructure development and introduction of ICT in general. 65 According to the report 2007 Asia Internet, Broadband and Convergence Statistics, the level of penetration of mobile phones in Tajikistan was 9 per cent in Fixed and mobile communication reached about 15 per cent of the population at the beginning of 2007 according to the same report. The telecommunication system in Tajikistan is the least advanced among the surveyed four countries. In 2007 the telecommunication network of the country covered less than 5 per cent of the population, according to the 2007 Asia - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband in Central Asia. 66 As an indication of ICT development in the country, the table below compares the telecommunication sector performance in Tajikistan with the global average as well as with the relevant income group. Table 7: Telecommunication sector performance: Tajikistan Indicator Tajikistan (2000) Tajikistan (2005) Low Income Countries Average (2000) Low Income Countries Average (2005) World Average (2000) World Average (2005) Telephone Mainlines (per 1000 people) International voice traffic (minutes per person)

38 Mobile telephone subscribers (per 1000 people) Internet users (per 1000 people) Broadband subscribers (per 1000 people) International Internet bandwidth (bits per person) Price basket for residential fixed line (US$ a month) Price basket for mobile telephone service (US$ a month) Price basket for Internet service (US$ a month) Source: World Bank n/a 23.3 n/a 9.6 n/a 10.5 n/a 12.3 n/a 30.1 n/a ICT policy and program The State Programme for the development and introduction of ICT in Tajikistan was developed with the view of implementing the State Strategy for ICT for Development of the Republic of Tajikistan for , passed by a decree of the President of Tajikistan in November 2003 ( 1174). The State Programme includes the following stages: Implementation of priority programs and areas of the program which enhance cooperation of national and local government agencies with citizens and business entities; Development and introduction of basic information systems; Setting up of information infrastructure for national and local government agencies; for the budgetary (organizations funded by government budget) and for the not-for-profit organizations; Establishment of systems of electronic trade and public access points open to the general public; Deployment of ICT for the promotion of goods and services made in Tajikistan in the global markets; Training and retraining of human resources in the ICT sector; Improvement of legal and regulatory frameworks in the area of ICT; Integration of technical solutions into a uniform complex; Modernization and improvement of the existing information systems. 30

39 The programme aims to expand the construction of fiber optic and wireless relay communication lines on the basis of SDH and DWDM technologies, covering the administrative structure 68 of the territory of the country. The construction of a high-speed network for data transmission in all cities and regional capitals in the country will certainly be an important step forward in improving all aspects of people s lives. In the area of modernization of government agencies, including local governments, the following measures will be implemented through the programme: Acceleration of information exchange in society as a whole, including among citizens and government agencies; Equipping the majority of workplaces in government agencies with computers and means of information sharing; Increasing the efficiency of the national and local governments through the introduction of ICT; Creation of fundamentally new opportunities for monitoring of the processes in the economy and in society and adoption of appropriate decisions on regulation of these processes; Entering information about the country s state property into electronic databases and data registers; Reduction in the time required for document processing between state authorities and local government agencies by up to 4 hours; ICT capacity building among the personnel of governmental institutions and local government agencies; Introduction of ICT certifications into the system of training and retraining of human resources; Introduction of electronic transactions in retail and wholesale trade; Availability of electronic mass media amounting to at least 50 per cent of all massmedia outlets in the country; Providing Internet access through home computers to at least 13 per cent of the population in the country; Encourage frequent visits and use of the official websites of the government agencies. The implementation of the Programme will affect all areas of public life in Tajikistan. It is expected to lead to an increase in the number of business entities and increased competition in the ICT sector. Incentives for observance of legal requirements regulating activities in the ICT sector will be substantially increased. By undertaking activities in the above areas, the State Programme envisages the following outcomes: Optimization of information flows among government agencies, business entities and the population at large Essential increase in the throughput, reliability and security in transfer of data and information on broadband telecommunication networks 31

40 Mass introduction of ICT to all sectors of public work on standardized information and telecommunications infrastructure; i.e. use of an electronic trade system Providing affordable Internet access to all groups of people As a whole, the implementation of the Programme will enhance the competitiveness of the economy of the country by reducing transaction costs and improving the quality of products and services. It will also enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the delivery of various government services and the democratic nature of the government at all levels. Eventually, it will lead to improved quality of life of the population at large. The creation of conditions for accelerating the introduction of ICT in all areas of public life and business is considered as an important way forward, since only higher growth rates in this area will help reduce the gap with the developed countries, as well as avoid information and economic isolation from the world economy and community, and provide dynamism of interregional integration processes Mobile communication market Active development of the telecommunication market and new technologies, such as access to the Internet, IP-telephony and GSM standard mobile communication, appeared in Tajikistan in However, compared to other countries in the region, the mobile market in Tajikistan is still considerably small. The chart below (Figure 12) shows that the number of mobile communication subscribers in Tajikistan is 5.8 people per 100 persons, which is approximately half the number of subscribers in Kyrgyzstan and 6 times lower than in Kazakhstan. Figure 12: Number of mobile communication subscribers per 100 people in CIS countries ,8 4,4 0,7 2,0 1,6 0,9 10,0 6,5 3,4 6,1 13,0 32,9 Tajikistan Uzbekistan Kyrgyzstan Kazakhstan ,8 49,9 84,0 Russian Federation Source: Expert Consulting Agency 70 32

41 The largest non-governmental Internet provider, JSC Babylon-Т, during the first quarter of 2008, plans to launch a WiMах network. Not including Dushanbe, the network will cover the largest cities in Tajikistan, namely Kurgan Tyube, Kulyab and Khojend. According to the management of JSC Babylon-T, WiMах technology is an optimal technology for provision of high-quality voice and data transfer over mountainous terrains in Tajikistan; it also provides reliable security during communication. With time, this kind of communication will completely replace dial-up connections and will compete with ADSL. JSC Babylon-Mobile provides the entire spectrum of modern services to the subscriber based on the GSM 900/1800, and 3G-UMTS (the 3G network was launched in 2005) standards. Successful launch of 3G has permitted the expansion of the already wide spectrum of services provided by the company. In addition to video-calls and 3.6 Mbps. Internet access speeds the following services are available for the subscribers: SMS, MMS Voic , Call register, 71 WAP, GPRS, Prepaid cards, Customer service call center, SM US$-Money, 72 ICQ-SMS, Roaming and International roaming, Mobile TV, 73 content services (including entertainment services such as pictures, games, music, chat), games and many other things. 4. Internet and broadband markets and Internet access services are provided by 19 Internet providers. The number of potential users 74 is about 600,000. Approximately 2,000 web sites have been setup under the domain tj. Access to the Internet is provided based on the following technologies: Wireless Ethernet, ADSL, SHDSL, xdsl, and WiMAX. The number of allocated lines for Internet access (number of dial-up modem pools) has grown by 26 per cent between Babylon-T user fees for Internet access on the allocated channel in view of traffic (without VAT) depends on the speed of data transfer ranging from US$ 25 to US$ 200 a month; prepaid external traffic transfer rates range from 250 to 3,096 MB; prepaid internal traffic transfer rates range from 700 to 2500 MB. The fee for traffic excess ranges from US$ 0.02 to US$ 0.05 per MB. For the connection to the allocated channel, US$ 100 is charged. The monthly fee for Internet access on the broadband asymmetric channel (without VAT) without taking into account the traffic, depending on the speed of data transmission (64/ /128 Kbps.) ranges from US$ 170 to US$ 576; the fee is contract based for speeds above 256/128 Kbps. The connection fee is US$ 100. User's fee for Internet access on the symmetric channel (without VAT), depending on the speed of data transmission, ranges from US$ 210 to US$ 399; the fee is contract based for the speeds above 256 Kbps. Access is also sold by the hour at speeds between Kbps. The minimum monthly fee for this type of access ranges from US$ 50 to US$ 100 with a setup cost of US$ 100. The fee for Internet access (without VAT), depending on the time of a day, varies from US$ 0.20 to US$ 0.40 per hour. According to the website survey ( ) done by Intercom Ltd. (Tajikistan) 75 the visitors of the website consider the following as the most modern Internet access: WiMax 30.2 per cent, HDSL 20.6 per cent, ADSL 12.7 per cent, dial-up 3.2 per cent. The fee for ADSL with unlimited access (guaranteed symmetric access) varies, depending on the speed (19.2-1,024 Kbps), from US$ 30 to US$ 1,800 per month. 33

42 In general, in relation to the Internet service market, it should be noted that, despite the advanced level of the telecommunications market in the country in terms of introduced technologies, fees for Internet service (compared to average wages) are much higher than in other CIS countries. Tajikistan has one of the lowest Internet access per capita in the world. Representatives of telecommunication companies cite high fees associated with satellite communication channels as a cause. Probably, this is one of the prohibitive factors, which hinders Internet accessibility to the majority of families in the country, and this issue should be seriously addressed by the government. By the beginning of 2008, the number of Internet users across Tajikistan reached 441,469 subscribers National backbones The country has been upgrading and developing the telecommunications infrastructure at the national level so as to increase geographical coverage and capacity. The Digital communication line Dushanbe Hudjand (digital wireless relay link) and the Tajikistan section of the fiber optic communication line of the TAE Shanhai Frankfurt section was set in operation. Also, there was expansion of the network of trunk communication by using communication satellites based on modern digital communication equipment DAMA (the Demand Assigned Multiple Access). This network includes 40 DAMA stations and covers all hard to reach areas of Tajikistan. 77 Figure 13: Perspective scheme of primary telecommunication network of JSC Tochiktelecom (satellite lines of communication, DAMA network) Source: Ministry of Transport and Communications, Tajikistan 78 34

43 In 2003 in Dushanbe the telephone exchanges were updated to migrate to digital technologies. The SDH STM-16 system equipment that was installed in all automatic telephone exchanges in Dushanbe now enables 320 streams at 2 Mbps on the fiber optical ring. The total length of the cable within the city is 43.8 km. At present, there are 316 telephone exchanges including 80 digital and 236 analog systems in the country. The total capacity of the telephone exchanges is 280,282 numbers. The installed capacity of local communication based on ATS (analog telephone switchboard) in 2006 was 371,417 telephone numbers (in 2004 it was 327,876 telephone numbers). In 2004 the Government of Tajikistan developed the project Transport Networks of Telecommunications in Republic of Tajikistan with a budget of US$ 20 to 25 million. The project aims to construct a fiber optical communication line, using dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) and SDH technologies. Data transmission in the proposed network is based on STM-1, STM-4, and STM-16 with transfer speeds of 155 to 2,048 Мbps. The project will allow further development of the network in view of potential opportunities of inclusion of additional digital channels in the network as well as cable television which would enable to have digital telephone exchanges in the cities and settlements of the country with access to internal and international traffic. The implementation of the project will expand Tajikistan s access to the Middle East, Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and other countries in South-East Asia. Such a modern telecommunication infrastructure in the country will attract more investments into the economy. The first two phases of the project (creation of a transport network inside Dushanbe, and also creation of the network connecting regions of the country with the capital) have already been completed and have been implemented by JSC Tochitelecom. The third and last phase focuses on the initial stage of connecting Tajikistan with the neighboring countries of Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, China, and Uzbekistan. In order to implement the third phase, the National Communication Operator is going to involve local investors including telecommunication companies. D. Uzbekistan 1. Overall telecommunications sector development Since becoming independent in 1991, Uzbekistan has demonstrated its commitment to using ICT for development and has made strong efforts to improve and build up the legal and regulatory framework for promoting various aspects of ICT. During the past years, a modern telecommunication network has been developed which included the upgrading of the switching equipment, and migration and expansion into digital networks. It is clear that the telecommunications sector is being reorganized while the processes of liberalization and capitalization are underway. As a result of various projects and programs focused on modernization and development of telecommunication networks in all regional centres of the country, digital intercity stations have been installed, and fiber optical cables and digital wireless relay links have been mounted on intercity and interregional communication lines. There are more than 2,000 switching systems with a combined capacity of more than 2 million telephone numbers on the local telecommunications network. Presently, about 82.3 per cent of the country wide fixed telephone 35

44 lines are digital. There is 100 per cent digital telecommunications network coverage in towns and district centres, while the coverage in rural settlements stands at about 90 per cent, of which 52 per cent is digital. Figure 14: Backbone digital telecommunication network of Uzbekistan Source: Presentation of Mr. Khakim Mukhitdinov, General Director, JSC Uzbektelecom at the 5th Summit on Information and Communication Technologies ICT Summit 2007 held on September 2007 in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The dynamism of ICT development is evident in the fact that major foreign players from the ICT field are coming into Uzbekistan, especially in the telecommunications industry, which has resulted in substantive achievements (e.g., the number of mobile subscribers has almost doubled each year, NGN services are gradually showing up in the market). Another notable trend is that an increasing number of local ICT companies are joining the IT Association of Uzbekistan to promote their single voice and interests in the government s regulation of the ICT field and to present their products and solutions not only within the country but also abroad. In 2007 organizations representing the ICT sector delivered ICT products and services valued at Som billion (US$ 702 million based on the exchange rate as of 1 January, 2008 ) with a growth rate of per cent when compared with The annual export figures for the sector in 2007 grew by per cent and reached US$ million (US$ million in 2006). 79 The share of foreign direct investments amounted to US$ million which is 94.4 per cent of all investments into the ICT sector. As an indication of ICT development of the country, the table below compares the telecommunication sector performance in Uzbekistan with the global average as well as with the relevant income group. It is clear from the comparisons that Uzbekistan has done very well in providing telephone access compared with other countries in the same income group, but it is still less than half of the world average. Uzbekistan has done equally well to provide affordable fixed, mobile and Internet 36

45 services to the public, compared with the figures of the income group and world average. In terms of mobile subscribers, the growth is much slower than other countries in the same income group; and the number of mobile subscribers in Uzbekistan is less than one tenth of the world average. To a lesser extent, the same trend applies to the Internet subscribers. Compared with the world average of 137, the figure in Uzbekistan in 2005 was 34. The gap between Uzbekistan and other countries is larger in the area of broadband subscribers and international Internet bandwidth. Table 8: Telecommunication sector performance: Uzbekistan Indicator Telephone Mainlines (per 1000 people) International voice traffic (minutes per person) Mobile telephone subscribers (per 1000 people) Internet users (per 1000 people) Broadband subscribers (per 1000 people) International Internet bandwidth (bits per person) Price basket for residential fixed line (US$ a month) Price basket for mobile telephone service (US$ a month) Price basket for Internet service (US$ a month) Source: World Bank 80 Uzbekistan (2000) Uzbekistan (2005) Low Income Countries Average (2000) Low Income Countries Average (2005) World Average (2000) World Average (2005) n/a n/a n/a 1.8 n/a 9.6 n/a 10.5 n/a 5.7 n/a 30.1 n/a 22.0 The telecommunications market in Uzbekistan is represented by fixed line communication, mobile communication and Internet users. Figure 15 provides the respective trends from 2002 to

46 Figure 15: Fixed line, mobile and Internet usage rate and trends (as a percentage of the total population), Uzbekistan Source: Aggregated information on the basis of data obtained from JSC UzbekTelecom, State Commission on Radio Frequencies of the Republic of Uzbekistan, UzACI 2. ICT policy and regulation In 2002 according to a Decree by the President of Uzbekistan, the Coordination Council for the Development of Computerization and ICT (ICT Council) was established to spearhead the formulation of ICT enabling policy and pursue inter-agency coordination. This council is the highest level local public service body involved in the coordination of computerization and ICT development in the country. The same Presidential Decree transformed the Agency of Post and Telecommunication into the Communication and Information Agency of Uzbekistan (UzACI) and tasked it to also work as an executive body of the ICT Council, giving the agency the authority to establish regulations and licensing regimes in the telecommunications industry. UzACI also supervises the activities of Uzbektelecom, which is the largest national telecom operator covering the country s territorial borders with its network and services. The Resolution of the Cabinet of Ministers of Uzbekistan # states that the operators and providers undertaking their activities on the basis of relevant licenses, can access the international telecommunications networks solely through the Uzbektelecom technological base. Thus, the resolution stipulates that Uzbektelecom JSC is the only organization in Uzbekistan that can legally provide international access to the Internet making it the only legitimate option for ISPs. In 2006, the Association of IT Companies and Organizations of Uzbekistan (IT Association) was established to consolidate the efforts of different stakeholders towards further development of the ICT sector, and currently around 50 companies are members of the association. As with other countries, ICT development in Uzbekistan is ensured through the implementation of national programs. In this regard, the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan #UP was an important first step towards identifying ICT development 38

47 objectives and planning for countrywide introduction and implementation of activities aimed at achieving these goals. The main purpose of the decree is to set the framework for the improvement of telecommunications infrastructure, to develop national Internet and data networks, create a software industry, improve the quality of information resources, ICT education, training, and for the development of a competitive environment in the ICT sector as a whole. The decree is implemented under the Programme on Computerization and ICT Development for During recent years, a modern data network has emerged within the territory of Uzbekistan, switching equipment has been modernized, and digital networks are being constructed and expanded. In this regard, the Resolution of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan #PP was issued to further coordinate the development and construction of new digital systems, and assure coordinated, harmonized relations among various telecom operators and providers and their management systems, as well as to ensure reliability of telecommunication networks and services in life threatening and emergency situations. Today in Uzbekistan, more and more modern and progressive types of services are rapidly developing, and are most apparent in the telecommunication and mobile markets. To further develop these services and enhance their coverage throughout the country, especially in the regions of Uzbekistan, the Resolution of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan #PP was issued, endorsing the proposal of UzACI for the establishment of an information-service infrastructure in rural areas, and called for the use of existing equipment of telecom operators and small-size entrepreneurs. At the same time, this resolution resulted in a substantive reduction of government fees for issuing licenses to small-sized entrepreneurs who provide telecommunication services in rural areas Fixed line communication As of 1 January 2008 in Uzbekistan there were more than 2,000 switching systems with a combined capacity of more than 2 million telephone numbers on the local telecommunications network, 82.3 per cent of which are digital. Figure 16: Installed and used capacity (number of subscribers) of telephone stations, Uzbekistan Figure 17: Telephone stations digitalization trends, Uzbekistan Source: JSC UzbekTelecom 39

48 In 2007 the number of fixed telephone subscribers reached 1,865,500 corresponding to 6.9 per cent 86 coverage of the total population of the country. The utilization of the installed capacity of telephone stations reached 90 per cent while the coverage rate of digital telecommunications networks in towns and district centers is 100 per cent. The coverage rate of rural settlements with telecommunications networks is about 90 per cent, and 52 per cent of them are digital. Table 9 shows the current fixed-line telephone prices from Uzbektelecom. Connection (installation) fee Table 9: Uzbektelecom fixed-line telephone tariffs Residential Monthly fee Local call (per minute) Connection (installation) fee Business Monthly fee Local call (per minute) 14, ,635 1, Source: Uzbektelecom. All tariffs are in Som, US$ 1 = Som 1, (1 January 2008) 4. Mobile communication It is evident that growth in mobile subscribers is increasing throughout the country. In November 2005 the first million mobile subscribers was recorded, while, at the beginning of 2007, the number reached 2.7 million. During 2007 the number of mobile users increased by 3.1 million and reached 5.8 million by the end of the year. Thus, the subscriber growth rate reached 216 per cent in 2007 compared with the same figure in 2005 and a similar growth rate is expected in Figure 18: Mobile usage rate and user trends, Uzbekistan Source: State Commission on Radio Frequencies of the Republic of Uzbekistan 87 In January 2008 the number of mobile subscribers in Uzbekistan exceeded 6 million. It is expected that by the end of 2008 the number of mobile subscribers will reach 12 million people with a level of penetration of over 40 per cent. 40

49 During the last 5 years and up to now, the mobile communication market in Uzbekistan has been the key driver of growth of the overall telecom market and there is still a big growth potential in this sector. This estimate is based on annual trends of the mobile market in Uzbekistan and the increasing penetration rate. However, compared with, for example, Russian and Ukrainian markets that have reached a maturity stage (with a penetration level of over 100 per cent), the mobile market in Uzbekistan is still in its growth stage (with a penetration level of just over 20 per cent). Experts from Avesta Research 88 predict continued growth in the subscriber base in Uzbekistan in the next 5 years. 5. Internet As of January 2008, the estimated number of Internet users in Uzbekistan reached 2,015,000. The growth trend in Uzbekistan was illustrated by the presentations made during the Tashkent workshop in 2007 as depicted in Figure 19 below. Figure 19: Uzbekistan Internet growth Source: NTT West and InfoComm 89 Figure 20: Internet usage rate and user trends: Uzbekistan Source: UzACI 41

50 The simplification of licensing procedures for operating Internet public access points brought about an increase in their numbers. As of January 2008, the total number of public access points in the country reached 774 with a total number of computers in such centers with access to the Internet equal to 5,378. Figure 21: Internet public access points by year, Uzbekistan Source: UzACI The household survey undertaken in February 2008 revealed notable characteristics in the Internet usage patterns of households and individuals. The survey demonstrated that the majority, or 54.2 per cent, of Internet users go online in Internet cafés (54.2 per cent), followed by at their workplaces (24.4 per cent), and at home (20.6 per cent). As for the type of access, a dial-up connection still dominates with 84.9 per cent of households accessing the Internet through this connection method. xdsl Internet usage among households stands at 7.5 per cent. Only 3.3 per cent of the total respondents access the Internet every day. Over 60 per cent of users go online to spend leisure time, while, over 50 per cent search for information, communicate and undertake research, education and learning activities. The survey also showed a difference between males and females as to why they use the Internet. In addition, the younger the user, the more they tend to focus on spending leisure time and communicating over the web. 6. Broadband communication Although the broadband growth trend is accelerating at a fast pace in Uzbekistan, the number of users remains very small. By January 2008, there were about 20,000 broadband subscribers 90 (8,850 by January 2007) and the annual growth exceeded 130 per cent. xdsl technology appears to be the preferred method of broadband connectivity for 85 per cent of the total subscribers, while, 5 per cent of the broadband subscribers use wireless LAN (Radio Ethernet) to go online. The majority of broadband subscribers (97.6 per cent) are located in Tashkent although the ISPs are starting to offer their services in the regions (i.e., Samarkand, Andijan, Navoiy, Fergana, Bukhara, Khorezm) of Uzbekistan as well. By January 2008, according to estimates based on data provided by leading ISPs (see Figure 25), there were about 17,000 individual broadband subscribers in Uzbekistan with most of them (99 per cent) living in Tashkent city. 42

51 Figure 22: Residential broadband subscription trends (estimates), Uzbekistan Source: Aggregated information on the basis of data obtained from ISPs The residential xdsl market is not yet saturated pointing to a huge potential for growth, and the number of people using the available assortment of ISPs is increasing. The residential xdsl market is dominated by Sharq Telecom and Sarkor Telecom. Other popular xdsl service providers include Buzton and TPS. The majority of individual subscribers pay for only 128 Kbps or 256 Kbps speed connections, which are in fact not guaranteed speeds but are in reality dependant on best available speeds. Less than 10 per cent of subscribers are connected at the speed of 1 Mbps. Figure 23: Residential broadband access speeds, Uzbekistan Source: Local ISPs 91 Only a few ISPs are offering their services using xdsl technology in the regions of Uzbekistan, due to low purchasing power of the population, resulting in a small number of xdsl subscribers in the regions. 43

52 According to the data provided by the State Statistics Committee, leading ISPs, and estimates of experts there were about 3,800 corporate broadband subscribers in Uzbekistan (Figure 24). Figure 24: Corporate broadband subscription trends (estimates), Uzbekistan Source: Aggregated information on the basis of data obtained from State Statistics Committee and ISPs The corporate broadband market is dominated by UzNet, Sarkor Telecom and Sharq Telecom that offer their services using leased lines, ISDN, Wireless Ethernet and xdsl technologies with xdsl being a dominant technology in the market. The majority of corporate users are connected at 128 Kbps speed (48.41 per cent) and almost 90 per cent of corporate users subscribe to the packages that provide only speeds of less than 512 Kbps (Figure 25). Figure 25: Corporate broadband access speed, Uzbekistan Source: Local ISPs 92 44

53 Though the majority of corporate users are located in Tashkent city, their number in such regions of Uzbekistan as Samarkand, Andijan, Navoiy, Fergana, Bukhara, and Khorezm is also noticeable amounting to over 30 per cent of the total (Figure 26). Figure 26: Corporate broadband Internet usage rate by regions of Uzbekistan Source: Data from ISPs 3G development in Uzbekistan is still in its infancy although all three of the GSM operators in Uzbekistan (MTS, Beeline and COSCOM) have already received licenses from UzACI for the creation of 3G networks. Moreover, during the ICT EXPO2007 exhibition held in Tashkent in September 2007 the first 3G call was demonstrated by MTS. However, according to expert opinions, it is unlikely that the existing equipment of mobile operators as well as the insufficient level of penetration and high prices of mobile Internet over GPRS, 93 will allow launching of real 3G services in the near future. At the same time, given the increasing demand for mobile Internet over GPRS among the population, the 3G technology is anticipated as a solution for reducing Internet access prices, ensuring high speed connections to the Internet, and providing VoIP, m-commerce and other services. A company called COSCOM plans to create a pilot 3G network in the second half of 2008 in Tashkent. The company will update its mobile network in Uzbekistan in the next two years and planned foreign direct investments will exceed US$ 150 million of which US$ million will be used for the deployment of a 3G network. MTS also announced its intention to start the first phase of 3G and WiMAX networks in 2008, through which MTS subscribers will be able to take advantage of new innovative services. Of course government support in such areas as customs policy on import of telecom equipment by providers who develop data network infrastructures and provide various services including broadband connections, solving issues with external international channels, and creation of favorable conditions for expansion will play a key role in further broadband development tendencies. 45

54 7. International bandwidth The telecommunications system of Uzbekistan has direct international channels spreading in 28 directions with access to 180 countries in the world through fiber-optic and satellite systems. Four connections are used for data transfer (through London (34 Mbps), Kazakhtelecom (STM1), Rostelecom (STM1) and satellite (InSAT)) and the remaining connections are used for telephony services including 3-4 satellite connections (through Rostelecom, Golden Telecom, Turkey, UAE, Republic of Korea, Japan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Germany, USA, UK, France, Israel, India, Italy, Singapore, and Pakistan). To ensure user access to international information networks, including the Internet, direct connections through satellite and terrestrial digital channels are in place. The bandwidth of international channels providing connectivity to the Internet as of January 2008 was 362 Mbps. Figure 27 shows the yearly international bandwidth growth rate from 2003 to Figure 27: International Internet bandwidth trends by year, Uzbekistan Source: UzACI 94 The usage rate (utilization by ISPs) of the total international bandwidth of 362 Mbps as of January 2008 stood at about 85 per cent. 95 This usage rate partially depends on the fee that ISPs pay to Uzbektelecom for every Mbps of incoming traffic. 96 However, it is necessary to note that ISPs plan to further build on their accomplishments and request for additional Internet bandwidth from Uzbektelecom which, in fact, always has some unused capacity. For example, at the beginning of February 2007, Sarkor Telecom, one of the leading ISPs in Uzbekistan, reported on the expansion of its international channel to 40 Mbps. 97 By mid-2008 Sarkor Telecom plans to expand its international channel to 100 Mbps based on the opportunities provided by Uzbektelecom. This has become possible because of the capacity of Uzbektelecom to provide an additional 60 Mbps of international channel access to the company. In February 2008, in response to a rapid increase in the number of subscribers, Sharq Telekom expanded its international channel to 70 Mbps. 98 The international bandwidth allocated for individual ISPs is utilized to its full capacity at almost all times. The graph shown in Figure 28 obtained from Sharq Telecom ISP demonstrates 46

55 that during the peak hours (from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.) the bandwidth loading for incoming traffic is close or equal to 100 per cent. The bandwidth loading for outgoing traffic (all Internet connections are symmetrical e.g., STM1 155/155) is about 4 times less. The situation is about the same with other ISPs in Uzbekistan. Figure 28: International bandwidth loading (Sharq Telecom ISP), Uzbekistan Source: Sharq Telecom Challenges and future directions ICT development in Uzbekistan has progressed at a steady pace during the past years. Several years ago, there were only a few households with computers connected to the Internet, but currently many online services are available to end users. However, there still is the outstanding issue of bringing the Internet to every household, especially in the rural areas, as mandated by the national ICT programmes. It is obvious that reliable broadband infrastructure will continue to play an important role in social and economic development of the country. According to experts from leading ISPs, the demand for the following Internet services that are currently available in Uzbekistan will increase in the future and drive the development of broadband services in the next 5 years: IP-telephony and IP-TV Entertainment-related content (e.g., music, movies, etc) Elements of e-government (e.g., interaction with public authorities and various regulators such as filing of tax returns, registration of patents, permits, visas, reference services, etc.) The demand for the following new Internet services (or services that are not widely available in the market in Uzbekistan) may emerge in the next 5 years with the development of broadband communication: e-commerce and Internet banking e-learning e-health including telemedicine 47

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