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UZBEKISTAN - Узбекистан

• State Commission for Radio Frequencies announcement on 30 June 2005 (in Russian) authorizing "field tests" of WiFi and Bluetooth in the 2400-2483.5 MHz band.
• "Wi-Fi в Узбекистане дан зеленый свет," [Wi-Fi in Uzbekistan given the green light] by Alexander Suchkov, InfoCom.uz, 28 December 2005 in Russian: on 22 December 2005, at this year's final meeting of the State Commission on radio frequencies (GKRCh) of the Republic of Uzbekistan, it was decided to allocate the 2400-2483.5 MHz band for use by spread-spectrum data transmission systems on a secondary basis without each device needing individual permission. The first public Wi-Fi zone in Uzbekistan was built by Sharq Telecom. It covers 1.5 square kilometers around the Children's Art House in the park at Tashkent circus. Sharq's "Wi-Fi Invasion" program installs free Internet access points in cafes and restaurants in Tashkent. See http://www.wi-fi.st.uz for a current list of addresses.
• "130 public places in Tashkent will have Wi-Fi Internet access," Uzbekistan National News Agency, 7 October 2006: "As a part of the 'Invasion Wi-Fi' program the Uzbek Company Sharq Telecom is going to supply with wireless sites of Internet access through Wi-Fi technology about 130 public places in Tashkent, Pravda Vostoka newspaper reported on October 6, 2006.... Up to date, 26 cafes and restaurants in Tashkent have been supplied with such modern types of services, the report concluded. (Translated by Information Agency 'Jahon')"
• "Mobile Internet Penetration Makes Up 4.8% in Uzbekistan," TMCnet's Asia Telecommunications Briefing, 5 June 2009: "As of 1 January 2009, [the] number of legal entities providing data transfer services, including Internet service, made up 856. Number of internet cafes reached 872. Number of companies, which have license to render data transfer services, including Internet (operators and providers, except Internet cafes) made up over 200, the State Demonopolization Committee said. The analysis showed that legal entities rendered data transfer services, including Internet, for 31.1 billion soums in 2008 compared to 20.8 billion soums in 2007..."
• Решение ГКРЧ от 22.12.2005г., №4/7: "О результатах опытной эксплуатации в поддиапазонах C, D полосы 3400–3600 МГц систем беспроводного радиодоступа сети передачи данных, а также внутриофисных систем передачи данных в полосе радиочастот 2400-2483,5 МГц" (GKRCh Decision 4/7 from 22.12.2005 - On the results of the installation and testing phase in subranges C and D of the 3400-3600 Mhz band for wireless radioaccess systems of telecommunication networks, and also spread spectrum systems of radio frequency transmission in the 2400-2483,5 Mhz band): Sections 1 and 2 authorize the import and use of type-approved devices for the 2.4 GHz band "without registration at GKRCh of particular solutions."
• "Об использовании на территории Республики Узбекистан полосы радиочастот 2400-2483,5 МГц для радиоэлектронных средств технологии Bluetooth" [The use of Bluetooth in the 2400-2483.5 MHz band in the Republic of Uzbekistan], Decision Order No. 2/3 of 30.06.2005, in Russian: it's allowed without a license.
• According to "Resolution No.155 of the Cabinet of Ministers issued on [5 July 2005], only legal entities are entitled to provide licensed telecommunication services. Individuals providing Internet access services must re-register as legal entities and receive new licenses... in August 2005 Buzton JV and Sharq Telecom JSC announced about offering Wi-Fi networking services to their subscribers. A new specialized website of Sharq Telekom company became operational at www.wi-fi.uz, informing of introduction of Wi-Fi technologies and providing the scheme of Wi-Fi public access points - first Hot-spot in Tashkent..." (quoted from Review of Information and Communication Technologies Development in Uzbekistan 2005, UNDP ICT Policy Project, 2006, pages 5-8; the Review makes no mention of the GKRCh's WiFi decision).
• Справочник нормативных документов по ИКТ (Reference Book of Normative ICT Documents), Uzbekistan Development Gateway (in Russian).
• "ПОЛОЖЕНИЕ о международно-правовой защите ра, приказом Генерального директора Узбекского агентства связи и информатизации N.208" (Position on the international-legal protection of radio-frequency authorizations by the Republic of Uzbekistan, by order number 208 of the general director of the Uzbek Agency of Communications and Informatization (19 July 2004), in Russian.
• Государственная комиссия по радиочастотам (State Commission for Radio Frequencies).
• Закон 25 декабря 1998 г. N 725-I "О радиочастотном спектре" (Law Number 725-I of 25 December 1998 "On Radio Spectrum") in Russian.
• ПОЛОЖЕНИЕ о лицензировании издательской деятельности (11 июня 2004 г. № 275) [Regulations on the Licensing of Publishing, Law number 275, 11 June 2004]
• Law "On Telecommunications"
• "Лицензирование в сфере телекоммуникаций" (Licensing in the field of telecommunication), Agency for Communication and Information, in Russian.
• "Telecommunications sector in Uzbekistan" by Jakhongir Mavlany, US Department of State, 5 May 2003.
• "Uzbekistan: Wireless Telecommunications" by Andrey Gidaspov, US Department of State Market Research Report, 19 January 2002.
• "WiFi (802.11b) Update: Uzbekistan, Ukraine," US Embassy cable, May 2003: "WI-FI systems can be used without a license [in Uzbekistan]... WI-FI systems can be used for commercial purposes without a license, as long [as] they conform to wattage restrictions... There are no commercial WI-FI networks that provide service to the public currently operating in Uzbekistan..." (However, in February 2004 we were told by Uzbek citizens that licenses were required for private Wi-fi networks.)
• "The Failure of Reform in Uzbekistan: Ways Forward for the International Community" by the International Crisis Group (Asia Report number 76, 46 pages, 11 March 2004).
• "One problem facing all Central Asian economies, including Uzbekistan, is the lack of modern standards testing equipment for type approvals and lack of international standards specifications and recommendations translated into local language. All the countries try to follow ITU recommendations and ESTI [sic] guidelines, but the only mutual recognition agreements are with Russia and not even CIS-wide..." ---"ICT Sector Development in Five Central Asian Economies: A Policy Framework for Effective Investment Promotion and Facilitation," by John Ure, a report presented at the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific's Conference on Strengthening Regional Cooperation for Managing Globalization (Moscow, 28-30 September 2005).

Asia & Pacific - Regional Overview