2nd Central Asia Internet Symposium – 2 March 2016 By Asomiddin Atoev, ICTD expert

1. Role of Independent Regulator for keeping
Internet Open and Secure
or for Strengthening transit capacity of
Tajikistan
2nd
Central Asia Internet Symposium: Perspectives for
Internet Development in Tajikistan
March 02 2016, Dushanbe, Tajikistan

2. Openness as a founding principle of Internet

3. The Internet is for Everyone...

…- there is no central authority that designates or
permits different classes of Internet activities:

Supports innovation without requiring permission
(by anyone): Any person or organization can set up a new service,
that abides by the existing standards and best practices, and make it
available to the rest of the Internet, without requiring special
permission. The best example of this is the World Wide Web – which
was created by a researcher in Switzerland, who made his software
available for others to run, and the rest, as they say, is history. Or,
consider Facebook – if there was a business approval board for new
Internet services, would it have correctly assessed Facebook’s potential
and given it a green light?

Accessible – it’s possible to connect to it, build new
parts of it, and study it overall: Anyone can “get on” the
Internet – not just to consume content from others, but also to
contribute content on existing services, put up a server (Internet node),
and attach new networks.

4. The Internet requires some basic agreements and...

...social behaviour – between technologies and between
humans:

Based on interoperability and mutual agreement:
The key to enabling inter-networking is to define the context for
interoperation – through open standards for the technologies,
and mutual agreements between operators of autonomous
pieces of the Internet.

Collaboration: Overall, a spirit of collaboration is required –
beyond the initial basis of interoperation and bi-lateral
agreements, the best solutions to new issues that arise stem from
willing collaboration between stakeholders. These are sometimes
competitive business interests, and sometimes different
stakeholders altogether (e.g., technology and policy).

5. Tajikistan as a communication hub

In his 2016 message to Majlisi Oli of Tajikistan (Parliament)
from January 20 2016, Mr. President once again stated the
importance of three strategic goals in the National
Development Strategy 2030:

“Our earlier declared three national objectives remain as
priority in this document and we are strongly intended
to ensure their achievement in the nearest future. These
objectives will qualitatively change in upcoming period
in order to ensure transfer (1) from energy security to
efficient use of electricity, (2) from eliminating
communication deadlock to transforming the country
into a transit country, and (3) from ensuring food
security to providing public access to quality food.”

6. Tajikistan as a communication hub

In his 2016 message to Majlisi Oli of Tajikistan (Parliament)
from January 20 2016, Mr. President once again stated the
importance of three strategic goals in the National
Development Strategy 2030:

“Our earlier declared three national objectives remain as
priority in this document and we are strongly intended
to ensure their achievement in the nearest future. These
objectives will qualitatively change in upcoming period
in order to ensure transfer (1) from energy security to
efficient use of electricity, (2) from eliminating
communication deadlock to transforming the country
into a transit country, and (3) from ensuring food
security to providing public access to quality food.”

7. Communication = transcommunication +
telecommunication
6. Leadership of ministries, state agencies, non-
governmental organizations and private companies that
are active in implementation of information and
communication technologies:

promote collaboration in designing and
implementation of initiatives on e-government and
learn experience of advanced in this term
countries;

in order to contribute in enhancement of civil
society in the country, incremental transformation
of bureaucratic system and bureaucratic mindset
and provision of transparent interaction of the
state and citizens and turning the Republic of

8. ICT Hub
(Digital CASA, the World Bank Group)
Tajikistan

9. Telecommunication Market Snapshot
(Source: Communication Service under the Government of
Tajikistan 2015 press conferences)

Market liberalization policy has started since 1997

Licensees – 205

Number of mobile communication customers – 11.3 million

Active users – 6.4 million (taxpayers)

Number of fixed telephony customers – 0.4 million

Number of Internet users – 3.8 million (taxpayers)

Deployed communication technologies:

xDSL,Fiber-optics, GSM,

3G – 2005

4G (WiMAX) – 2008

4G (LTE) - 2012

10. Some Domestic innovative solutions and/or
technological inventions

Services across the Internet

NGN (Next Generation Network):

~ 80,000 users (for BT only). Intercom, Eastera,
Telecom Technology also provide this VoIP
service

WMNT – Concept of 5G, patented in 2008

ICT-enabled Services

Payment systems domestic companies work across the
region in:

Afghanistan, China, Kyrgyz Republic

11. 2011
2012
2013
2014
0.00 TJS 1,000.00 TJS 2,000.00 TJS 3,000.00 TJS
1,948.83 TJS
2,282.00 TJS
2,640.00 TJS
2,673.60 TJS
350.79 TJS
410.00 TJS
475.20 TJS
481.25 TJS
Revenue of communications industry (mln Somoni)
Taxes to the State Budget from the industry (mln Somoni)
ICT Market Revenue, 2011 - 2015
Adapted from Communication Service Report
The
telecom
m
unications
industry
is
in
the
top-5
list
of
investm
ent-attractive
sectors.

12. However...
These interferences of the regulator in the market contradicts the state policy
of Tajikistan to strengthen the telecommunication transit capacity of the
country in Central Asia and resulted to an immediate decline of revenues.

In 2007 the liberal policies of telecom sector came to an end

Re-inventing of the state-owned telecom operator OJSC «Tojiktelecom»,
with about 6% of share in the market, as a monopolist to control 94% of
the market

13. OJSC Tojiktelecom
SEU Pochtai Tojik
SEU Electro-magnethic compatability and radiomonitoring
Other subordinated to CS enterprises
Mobile and Internet providers
0 500 1000 1500 2000
97.4
6.2
6.3
1.4
1879.9
19.6
2.8
873.6
Revenue of the ICT market in 2012
Revenue in TJ Somoni, mln
Revenue from service provision to public
6%
94%
Revenue of CS enterprises
Revenue of Mobile and
Internet providers
Revenue of CS enterprises
Revenue of Mobile and Internet providers
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000
111.30
1879.90
20.03
338.38
Revenue, mln TJS Contribution to State Budget, mln TJS

14. 2012 2013 2014 2015
-5%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
-5%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
Revenue in %
C
om
pared
w
ith
a
grow
th
of15%
in
2013,
the
revenues
in
the
IC
T
m
arket
decreased
in
2015
by
15.9%
.
Decline in Market Revenue

16. Status quo of Telecom Regulation in Tajikistan

Sector-specific regulation

Not independent (running state-owned operator, funded
by the state budget)

Policymaking + Implementation of Policy (regulation) +
Operating in the market
The incumbent telecommunications
regulator combines policy,
regulatory and operational functions
managing state owned enterprises.

17. Why Independent Regulator is important?

18. The role of Independent Regulator

Development of a viable domestic ICT industry and attraction of
foreign investment.

This is why the World Trade Organization in its regulatory
framework for basic telecommunications services (“Reference
Paper”) requires the establishment of a regulator who is
independent not only from commercial operators but also from
interferences by state authorities.

By joining the WTO in March 2013, Tajikistan committed itself to
comply with the obligations set out in the Reference Paper,
including establishment of an indepdent regulator
The speedy establishment of a truly independent and
competent regulator is of crucial importance not only for the
ICT industry but also for the entire Tajik economy.

19. Decision No.691 from October 31 2014

The main objective of the Program is creating a favorable
environment for the development of small and medium
enterprises, attracting foreign investment, strengthening
bilateral and multilateral cooperation with the WTO
members and providing the advantages of the WTO
membership for the business community, by taking the
necessary measures to accelerate reforms in various
sectors.

21. Decision No.691: Table V, Action 3

22. Advantages of Independent Regulator

Predictable regulatory processes attract investors

Regulator adheres to the rule of law

Reduced regulatory risk

Enhanced confidence in and credibility of the regulators

It is important to Tajikistan to achieve its 3 strategic goals, in
particular overcoming the communication isolation through
introducing the country as a telecommunication hub of the
region

23. Indepedent Regulator...
«It does not imply independence from government policy,
or the power to make policy, but rather independence to
implement policy without undue interference from
politicians or industry lobbyists. It implies independence
to acquire specialized skills, to manage without
interference and to be accountable for results according to
specified performance criteria. In principle, it is no
different than a delegation of specific responsibilities,
authority and accountability for the performance of
specific activities, as takes place in any large
organisation.» (Melody 1997: 19-20)

24. Indepedent Regulator...
«It does not imply independence from government policy,
or the power to make policy, but rather independence to
implement policy without undue interference from
politicians or industry lobbyists. It implies independence
to acquire specialized skills, to manage without
interference and to be accountable for results according to
specified performance criteria. In principle, it is no
different than a delegation of specific responsibilities,
authority and accountability for the performance of
specific activities, as takes place in any large
organisation.» (Melody 1997: 19-20)

25. Indepedent Regulator...
«It does not imply independence from government policy,
or the power to make policy, but rather independence to
implement policy without undue interference from
politicians or industry lobbyists. It implies independence
to acquire specialized skills, to manage without
interference and to be accountable for results according to
specified performance criteria. In principle, it is no
different than a delegation of specific responsibilities,
authority and accountability for the performance of
specific activities, as takes place in any large
organisation.» (Melody 1997: 19-20)

26. Indepedent Regulator...
«It does not imply independence from government policy,
or the power to make policy, but rather independence to
implement policy without undue interference from
politicians or industry lobbyists. It implies independence
to acquire specialized skills, to manage without
interference and to be accountable for results according to
specified performance criteria. In principle, it is no
different than a delegation of specific responsibilities,
authority and accountability for the performance of
specific activities, as takes place in any large
organisation.» (Melody 1997: 19-20)

27. Indepedent Regulator...
«It does not imply independence from government policy,
or the power to make policy, but rather independence to
implement policy without undue interference from
politicians or industry lobbyists. It implies independence
to acquire specialized skills, to manage without
interference and to be accountable for results according to
specified performance criteria. In principle, it is no
different than a delegation of specific responsibilities,
authority and accountability for the performance of
specific activities, as takes place in any large
organisation.» (Melody 1997: 19-20)

28. Two roads

From landlocked developing country to a
cyberdeveloped country

From landlocked developing country to a cyberlocked
developing country

29. Two roads

From landlocked developing country to a
cyberdeveloped country – incumbent regulator

From landlocked developing country to a cyberlocked
developing country – independent regulator

32. Thank You for attention!
Asomuddin Atoev
Expert on ICT for Development
MSc Computer Science
MSc ICT for Development
asomiddin@gmail.com