Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ASHGABAT797
2008-06-26 11:22:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
TURKMENISTAN: BROAD INTERNET ACCESS FINALLY BECOMING A
how-toVZCZCXRO3725 PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHAH #0797 1781122 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 261122Z JUN 08 FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1041 INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE PRIORITY RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA PRIORITY 3937 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 1754 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO PRIORITY 1621 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL PRIORITY 2190 RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC PRIORITY RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC PRIORITY
UNCLAS ASHGABAT 000797
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EEB
PLEASE PASS TO USTDA DAN STEIN
COMMERCE FOR HUEPER
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON EINV ECPS TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: BROAD INTERNET ACCESS FINALLY BECOMING A
REALITY
REF: Ashgabat 00348
UNCLAS ASHGABAT 000797
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EEB
PLEASE PASS TO USTDA DAN STEIN
COMMERCE FOR HUEPER
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON EINV ECPS TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: BROAD INTERNET ACCESS FINALLY BECOMING A
REALITY
REF: Ashgabat 00348
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.
2. (U) SUMMARY: The Government of Turkmenistan's
telecommunications sector has finally started to act on President
Berdimuhamedov's call for "Internet access in every home, school,
and kindergarten." Russian cellular telecommunications company MTS
previously limited its Internet services through a Blackberry-type
technology to only businesses, but recently announced it is now
extending this service to the general public at a lower, (but still
generally unaffordable price). Turkmen Telecom, too, has begun to
expand its dial-up Internet subscription service to more private
citizens. END SUMMARY.
INTERNET FOR EVERYBODY
3. (U) In March 2008, MTS (Mobile TeleSystems) started providing
Internet service through GPRS (General Packet Radio Service),a
Blackberry-type technology, to legal entities and foreign
businessmen (reftel). In mid-June, it extended its service to all
customers wishing to access Internet -- and lowered prices. Whereas
the cost of service used to be $1 per megabyte of traffic, it now
costs 25 cents. In announcing these changes, MTS General Director
in Turkmenistan Dmitry Shukov stressed that his company's new
service allows users to use mobile Internet at anytime, and anywhere
MTS coverage exists. In addition to its convenience, the GPRS
service also provides high speed connection, ranging from 474
kilobyts to 1712 kilobytes a second, compared to Turkmen Telecom's
50 kilobytes per second.
TURKMEN TELECOM IS GETTING ITS ACT TOGETHER
4. (SBU) State-owned "Turkmen Telecom," under the Ministry of
Communications, also started expanding its dial-up Internet service
in June. This new, expanded service has become possible with the
delivery of $1.5 million of new equipment, provided by the Russian
company "TechnoServe." Local contacts report Turkmen Telecom has
been hooking up to 20 homes to the Internet daily. The initial
hookup costs 600,000 manats ($42),a monthly subscription fee is
200,000 manats ($14),and Internet use per minute is 200 manats,
which rounds up to 12,000 manats ($0.80) per hour. And, although a
number of newly hooked-up customers are reporting that the new
service is fast and easy to connect with, getting service still
requires a lengthy process, due to a waiting list of more than 2,000
households. (NOTE: One Embassy employee who submitted the
necessary paper work for an Internet connection three weeks ago has
still not heard back from Turkmen Telecom. END NOTE.)
5. (SBU) COMMENT: The lack of commercial competition in this
sector and Turkmen Telecom's burdensome application procedures for
those seeking Internet service create favorable market conditions
for MTS to push its Internet services. Although MTS has lowered the
price substantially, the cost remains unaffordable for the majority
of Turkmenistan's population. END COMMENT.
HOAGLAND
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EEB
PLEASE PASS TO USTDA DAN STEIN
COMMERCE FOR HUEPER
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ECON EINV ECPS TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: BROAD INTERNET ACCESS FINALLY BECOMING A
REALITY
REF: Ashgabat 00348
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.
2. (U) SUMMARY: The Government of Turkmenistan's
telecommunications sector has finally started to act on President
Berdimuhamedov's call for "Internet access in every home, school,
and kindergarten." Russian cellular telecommunications company MTS
previously limited its Internet services through a Blackberry-type
technology to only businesses, but recently announced it is now
extending this service to the general public at a lower, (but still
generally unaffordable price). Turkmen Telecom, too, has begun to
expand its dial-up Internet subscription service to more private
citizens. END SUMMARY.
INTERNET FOR EVERYBODY
3. (U) In March 2008, MTS (Mobile TeleSystems) started providing
Internet service through GPRS (General Packet Radio Service),a
Blackberry-type technology, to legal entities and foreign
businessmen (reftel). In mid-June, it extended its service to all
customers wishing to access Internet -- and lowered prices. Whereas
the cost of service used to be $1 per megabyte of traffic, it now
costs 25 cents. In announcing these changes, MTS General Director
in Turkmenistan Dmitry Shukov stressed that his company's new
service allows users to use mobile Internet at anytime, and anywhere
MTS coverage exists. In addition to its convenience, the GPRS
service also provides high speed connection, ranging from 474
kilobyts to 1712 kilobytes a second, compared to Turkmen Telecom's
50 kilobytes per second.
TURKMEN TELECOM IS GETTING ITS ACT TOGETHER
4. (SBU) State-owned "Turkmen Telecom," under the Ministry of
Communications, also started expanding its dial-up Internet service
in June. This new, expanded service has become possible with the
delivery of $1.5 million of new equipment, provided by the Russian
company "TechnoServe." Local contacts report Turkmen Telecom has
been hooking up to 20 homes to the Internet daily. The initial
hookup costs 600,000 manats ($42),a monthly subscription fee is
200,000 manats ($14),and Internet use per minute is 200 manats,
which rounds up to 12,000 manats ($0.80) per hour. And, although a
number of newly hooked-up customers are reporting that the new
service is fast and easy to connect with, getting service still
requires a lengthy process, due to a waiting list of more than 2,000
households. (NOTE: One Embassy employee who submitted the
necessary paper work for an Internet connection three weeks ago has
still not heard back from Turkmen Telecom. END NOTE.)
5. (SBU) COMMENT: The lack of commercial competition in this
sector and Turkmen Telecom's burdensome application procedures for
those seeking Internet service create favorable market conditions
for MTS to push its Internet services. Although MTS has lowered the
price substantially, the cost remains unaffordable for the majority
of Turkmenistan's population. END COMMENT.
HOAGLAND