The government of Uzbekistan is planning a pilot launch of satellite internet in the country in 2026, including a network based on Starlink technology. This was announced by Prime Minister Abdulla Aripov on March 27 at the international forum Digital Qazaqstan 2026 in Shymkent, Kazakhstan. According to him, the project is seen as a tool to address gaps in digital infrastructure, particularly for villages and remote areas where connectivity remains weak.

Abdulla Aripov noted that broadband internet coverage in Uzbekistan has already reached 99.5%, but current focus is on remote and hard-to-reach settlements where conventional fiber-optic and cellular networks still perform poorly or are absent altogether. The pilot launch aims to provide stable internet in these regions, which is expected to reduce the digital divide between cities and remote territories, as well as make remote work, online education, telemedicine, and digital government services more accessible.

Starlink is a global satellite communication system designed to provide high-speed broadband internet anywhere in the world, operating in over 100 countries including North and South America, most of Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and parts of Africa and Asia. The first country in Central Asia to adopt Starlink internet was Kazakhstan in 2025, followed by Tajikistan in February 2026.

If the pilot project proves successful, residents of remote areas in Uzbekistan could gain relatively stable satellite internet even without developed ground infrastructure. This could accelerate digitalization efforts, though technical details, costs, and long-term sustainability remain to be clarified.

Source: kun.uz