Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08ASHGABAT822
2008-07-02 10:06:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
TURKMENISTAN'S TELEPHONY SYSTEM APPEARS TO IMPROVE
how-toVZCZCXRO7971 PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLH RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPW RUEHROV RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHAH #0822 1841006 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 021006Z JUL 08 FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1089 INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 3969 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1786 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 1653 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 2222 RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC RHMFIUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 2652
UNCLAS ASHGABAT 000822
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EEB
PLEASE PASS TO USTDA DAN STEIN
TREASURY FOR BAKER/LANIER
USAID/W FOR EA/AA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECPS TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN'S TELEPHONY SYSTEM APPEARS TO IMPROVE
REF: ASHGABAT 0479
UNCLAS ASHGABAT 000822
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EEB
PLEASE PASS TO USTDA DAN STEIN
TREASURY FOR BAKER/LANIER
USAID/W FOR EA/AA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECPS TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN'S TELEPHONY SYSTEM APPEARS TO IMPROVE
REF: ASHGABAT 0479
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.
2. (SBU) For the first time since August 2006, Post has been
able to complete successfully a monthly emergency telephone
system test. This change indicates a basic improvement in
Turkmenistan's international dialing capabilities and
telephonic infrastructure. It is possible that one
international gateway which was reportedly shut down in 2006
due to nonpayment of international telephone bills has been
reopened. It is also possible that Turkmenistan added some
additional telephone lines. In May 2008, the Ministry of
Communications met with Post's IMO -- a meeting that Post had
requested two and one-half years ago -- and 10 days after the
meeting, approved registration of many Post satellite systems
and radio signals that had been pending since 2000. Also as
a result of this meeting, a number of long-outstanding
phone-line repair requests have been resolved, and the IMO
has been told that we no longer need to write a diplomatic
note for telephone-line repairs.
3. (SBU) COMMENT: Deputy Chairman in charge of
Transportation and Communictions Gurbannazar Ashirov was
fired on April 14 (reftel). While some felt that blaming
Ashirov for problems in the communications sector was unfair,
the decision to get rid of Ashirov seems to have helped
unblock the communications sector bureaucracy and improve the
overall service mentality. END COMMENT.
HOAGLAND
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EEB
PLEASE PASS TO USTDA DAN STEIN
TREASURY FOR BAKER/LANIER
USAID/W FOR EA/AA
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PREL ECPS TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN'S TELEPHONY SYSTEM APPEARS TO IMPROVE
REF: ASHGABAT 0479
1. (U) Sensitive but unclassified. Not for public Internet.
2. (SBU) For the first time since August 2006, Post has been
able to complete successfully a monthly emergency telephone
system test. This change indicates a basic improvement in
Turkmenistan's international dialing capabilities and
telephonic infrastructure. It is possible that one
international gateway which was reportedly shut down in 2006
due to nonpayment of international telephone bills has been
reopened. It is also possible that Turkmenistan added some
additional telephone lines. In May 2008, the Ministry of
Communications met with Post's IMO -- a meeting that Post had
requested two and one-half years ago -- and 10 days after the
meeting, approved registration of many Post satellite systems
and radio signals that had been pending since 2000. Also as
a result of this meeting, a number of long-outstanding
phone-line repair requests have been resolved, and the IMO
has been told that we no longer need to write a diplomatic
note for telephone-line repairs.
3. (SBU) COMMENT: Deputy Chairman in charge of
Transportation and Communictions Gurbannazar Ashirov was
fired on April 14 (reftel). While some felt that blaming
Ashirov for problems in the communications sector was unfair,
the decision to get rid of Ashirov seems to have helped
unblock the communications sector bureaucracy and improve the
overall service mentality. END COMMENT.
HOAGLAND