Uzbek operators gained direct access to external internet channels

In Uzbekistan, telecom operators will be able to independently access international internet channels for their own needs, according to a presidential decree.

According to the information, until January 1, 2030, telecommunications operators who have mobile or wired networks, but do not have the right to directly connect to international Internet networks, will be able to independently connect to international channels for their own commercial needs and user services.

The Ministry of Digital Technologies will be responsible for coordinating the connection, and the “Republican Telecommunication Network Management Center” will be the working body. At the same time, by July 1, 2028, responsible agencies must propose a resolution on improving the procedure for direct connection of operators.

It is noted that such a practice will be conducted as part of an experiment. In particular, to participate in it, operators will need:

• fulfill the temporary requirements and conditions established in the annex to the resolution;
• conclude a contract with the working body, which reflects the monitoring procedure, the rights and obligations of the parties, as well as liability measures for violation of the conditions.

The authorities also determined the temporary requirements and conditions for telecom operators wishing to obtain the right to directly connect to international internet networks for their own commercial needs. Specifically, access will be provided through special centers connecting to international internet networks (CIP).

At the same time, operators must have main fiber-optic networks covering at least 50% of the country’s territory, including remote and hard-to-reach regions, as well as own telecommunications infrastructure to reduce the digital divide and provide the population with broadband telecom services.

In addition, when connecting, the requirements of the legislation on SORM, information security, and cybersecurity must be observed, and in the event of an emergency or security threat, the work of the CIP may be restricted or suspended by decision of the authorized bodies.

Earlier, it was reported that Afghanistan planned to gradually ban the internet to “fight against sins”. Due to the outage, passport services and customs are already suffering.