President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has reviewed a series of proposals aimed at developing Uzbekistan's telecommunications infrastructure and enhancing the industry's business environment, according to the president's press service.
Data presented at the meeting indicates that telecom service coverage in residential areas has jumped from 41% to 98% in recent years, while overall internet bandwidth has surged 65-fold. However, officials noted that the telecom sector remains insufficiently attractive to local entrepreneurs, and broadband internet penetration remains critically low in remote areas.
To improve the business climate, officials proposed merging the design and construction licenses for telecom networks into a single permit, while slashing the processing time from 25 to 10 business days. Moving forward, new apartment buildings must legally incorporate high-speed internet access directly into their design and construction phases. This mandate ensures fiber-optic infrastructure is integrated early on, providing residents with high-quality digital services from day one.
Under the Kelajak Tadbirkori (Future Entrepreneur) program, young people launching telecom businesses will have access to preferential loans of up to 530 million soums. These loans will carry a 15% interest rate over a 7-year term, including a two-year grace period. Additionally, the President ordered the development of subsidized tariff plans specifically for telecom operators serving remote and hard-to-reach provinces.
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