Turkmenistan
3.5 Turkmenistan Telecommunications

Turkmenistan Telecommunications

The telecommunications network remains underdeveloped and progress toward improvement is slow; strict government control and censorship inhibits liberalization and modernization.

Domestic: Turkmentelekom, in cooperation with foreign partners, has installed high-speed fiber-optic lines and has upgraded most of the country's telephone exchanges and switching centers with new digital technology; combined fixed-line and mobile teledensity is about 80 per 100 persons; Russia's Mobile Telesystems, the only foreign mobile-cellular service provider in Turkmenistan, had its operating license suspended in December 2010 but was able to resume operations in September 2012.

International: country code - 993; linked by fiber-optic cable and microwave radio relay to other CIS republics and to other countries by leased connections to the Moscow international gateway switch; an exchange in Ashgabat switches international traffic through Turkey via Intelsat; satellite earth stations - 1 Orbita and 1 Intelsat (2012)

Telephone Services

Is there an existing landline telephone network?

(Yes / No)

Yes

 

Does it allow international calls?

(Yes / No)

Yes

 

On average, number and length of downtime periods

Nil

Mobile phone providers (List)

MTS

Estimated availability and coverage

(Approximate percentage of national coverage)

n/a

For additional telecommunications information, please select the following document:

Turkmenistan Telecommunications Additional Information

Note: The information provided in the attached documents, which has been taken from the old DLCA, does not match the structure of the new LCA and is therefore provided separately.

Telecommunication Regulation

International Calls : linked by cable and microwave radio relay to other Commonwealth of Independent States republics and to other countries by leased connections to the Moscowinternational gateway switch; a new telephone link from Ashgabat to Iran has been established; a new exchange in Ashgabat switches international traffic through Turkey via Intelsat; satellite earth stations - 1 Orbita and 1 Intelsat

Regulations

Regulations on usage or import of:

Yes / No

Regulating Authority

Satellite

Yes

n/a

HF Radio

Yes

n/a

UHF/VHF/HF radio: handheld, base and mobile

Yes

n/a

UHF/VHF repeaters

Yes

n/a

GPS

Yes

n/a

VSAT

Yes

n/a

Individual Network Operator Licenses Required

 n/a

Frequency Licenses Required

The launch of the first Turkmen communication satellite is scheduled in 2014 for a 15 years lifetime and will be carried out using a Chang Zheng-3B (“Long March”) rocket. The satellite is currently under construction by the French Thales Alenia Space and is from the Spacebus 4000 family.

Analog TV signal feed of 5 national channels are receivable over-the-air in all living areas across the country. Foreign TV channels are watched with digital satellite receiver. In some places of Ashgabat, cable service is available where satellite dishes are not allowed to be installed.

List of broadcast stations:

  • Altyn Asyr (Golden Age)
  • Ýaşlyk (Youth)
  • Miras (Inheritance)
  • TV4 Turkmenistan - News channel broadcast in 7 languages.
  • Türkmen Owazy - Turkmen Music channel, launched in 2009.
  • Aşgabat
  • Türkmen sport - sport channel, launched in 2012.

All 7 of national channels are aired on Yamal satellitle for international audience.

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