Uzbekistan Prepares for Satellite Internet: Most Remote Areas to be Connected as Early as 2026

The test launch will be part of a large-scale digital transformation and support for startups

Uzbekistan plans to launch satellite internet in test mode as early as 2026. This was announced by Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov on March 27 at the Digital Qazaqstan 2026 forum in Shymkent. The main goal of the project is to connect hard-to-reach areas, while operators are offered tax incentives to accelerate the implementation of the technology.

Over the past nine years, the country has made significant progress in digitalization: broadband internet coverage has increased from 41% to 99.5%, and network bandwidth has increased 40 times. In parallel, a large computing cluster is being built, which will become the core of the national artificial intelligence infrastructure and will allow pilot projects to be put into industrial use.

Uzbekistan is actively developing AI and the startup ecosystem: the Artificial Intelligence Alliance has been opened, 19 scientific laboratories have been created, about 800 startups are operating, 60 of which export products. The total capital of venture funds reached $350 million, and the value of the entire ecosystem is estimated at $4 billion, which allows the country to rank 9th in the world ranking of digital maturity of public administration according to the World Bank.

Sources:
uzdaily.uz

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