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Internet access by Central Asian republics

By Michael Davis, on CenAsia list, 1 March 1998

> And would anyone comment upon the current level of WWW access in the
> Central Asian nations, and prospects for its growth? I have spoken
> with Uzbeks and Tajiks who say it is not yet available where they
> are.

AFAIK, Kazakstan has had full TCP/IP for a few years now; Uzbekistan has it, but I think for less than a year.

Tajikistan does not have TCP/IP yet. There is a UUCP-based e-mail node in Dushanbe. There are now subnodes in Khujand and I think one of the southern cities. There are plans to expand the service to Khorog.

The e-mail nodes provide a public access centre for people without computers (basically a few networked terminals hooked into a UNIX server). There is also a dial-in service, I think with 4 lines. The number of users is certainly in excess of 1000, probably more like 1500-1750, and growing very fast.

There are a number of groups who are interested in getting a satellite-based TCP/IP service in Tajikistan. These include UNDP (who have a mandate to get Internet access in all UN countries) and Soros/OSI. CADA, the group running the e-mail service, have just got permission to install such a service. I think they are waiting for funding now. The service would only be available in Dushanbe initially.

I don't know about the other Central Asian republics.

Michael Davis <mike@jabberwock.win-uk.net>