In a draft government resolution prepared by the Ministry of Justice of Uzbekistan, it is proposed to require mobile operators to offer tariff plans that include only voice and/or SMS services. This requirement is planned to be included in the licensing conditions for activities related to the design, construction, use, and provision of telecommunications network services.

The explanatory note to the draft highlights that internet traffic, currently offered by mobile operators, is included in most tariff plans. The text states that this may be unnecessary for some subscribers, leading to increased costs and limiting their freedom of choice. As an example, companies such as Beeline and Oqmobile offer tariffs with the option to choose services, but internet is typically enabled by default there as well.

The note also emphasizes the availability of Talk & SMS tariff plans in the United Kingdom and the United States, and that operators in Croatia allow subscribers to choose their preferred communication method. Based on this, a similar approach is proposed for implementation in Uzbekistan.

Another requirement for obtaining a license is that tariff plan names should not include numbers corresponding to the monthly payment amount, as, according to the Ministry of Justice, this misleads subscribers. For instance, the explanation notes that in 2023, the Mobiuz operator introduced the "Jozibali 35" tariff priced at 35,000 soums, but by February 2025, the price was increased to 45,000. In the "Jozibali 50" tariff, the price rose from 50,000 to 55,000, demonstrating a discrepancy between tariff names and their prices.

In January, amendments to the Rules for Providing Telecommunications Services came into force, making tariff changes free, prohibiting negative balances, introducing an accelerated number porting system, and restricting paid content services. These new proposals aim to protect subscriber rights and enhance price transparency in the mobile communications market.

Source: www.gazeta.uz