The document summarizes the findings of an assessment of the Kyrgyz internet environment. It finds that internet penetration is affected by factors like population and economic development. International bandwidth is low and costs are high compared to neighboring countries. The internet is driven by mobile broadband with limited domestic connectivity. It provides recommendations in 5 areas - lowering international connectivity costs, improving domestic connectivity through infrastructure sharing, increasing last mile connectivity through spectrum and rural projects, growing local content and data security, and improving data collection, e-government, and infrastructure mapping to support policy.

1. 1
Internet Society
Kyrgyz Internet Environment Assessment
24 November 2015, Bishkek
Maarit Palovirta (palovirta@isoc.org)

2. 2
Kyrgyz Internet Environment Assessment
1. Regional comparison
2. Availability (supply): International,
domestic and last-mile connectivity
3. Adoption (demand): Content and
security
4. Government issues: Regulatory
environment and government
policy

3. 3
Key Findings
Regional comparison: Internet penetration
Население,%
• Internet penetration is
affected by various
variables: population,
urbanization, economic
development, geography.
• Amount of international
bandwidth in KR indicates a
low amount of Internet
traffic and lack of online
engagement.
• Cost of international
bandwidth in KR
significantly higher than in
KZ and RU.
• Internet access driven by
mobile broadband.
Source: ITU 2014

4. 4
Key Findings
International
connectivity
Domestic
connectivity
Last mile
Availability: Internet Access Value Chain

5. 5
Key Findings
Availability: International connectivity
• 80% of Internet traffic
international, 20%
domestic.
• Heavy dependence on
Kazakhstan-Russia
route appears to affect
transit prices although
specific data is not
available.
• Regulated gateway for
international traffic
might drive up costs.

6. 6
Key Findings
Availability: Domestic and last mile connectivity
• Multiple operators have built capacity from Bishkek to the Kazakh border, but
connectivity between Bishkek and other population centres within the country
seem undeveloped.
• Kyrgyz IXP seems to fulfill its technical function, but there is room to expand and
diversify its role.
• One constraint in Bishkek and Chuy region is spectrum assignment, where as
the rural areas face lack of investment.

7. 7
Key Findings
Adoption: Content and security
• There is no carrier no carrier neutral data centre to increase
local hosting.
• Content in Kyrgyz language is lagging behind.
Source: Dyn, Alexa (August 2015)

8. 8
Key Findings
Government issues
• Licensing rules in the Kyrgyz Republic appear to be transparent and
nondiscriminatory.
• Internet traffic data is not made public, which prevents a thorough analysis
of the local Internet ecosystem.
• Kyrgyz e-governance programme has great potential to contribute to the
national Internet environment through 1) reinforcement of national Internet
infrastructure 2) creation of relevant local content 3) improvement of digital
literacy.
• High-level political leadership necessary to implement planned policies.

9. 9
Recommendations

10. 10
1# Availability: International Connectivity
Recommendations
Short term Investigate the reasons for the difference
between the cost of capacity in Kazakhstan
and the Kyrgyz Republic and remove barriers
to lower the cost.
Medium term Identify other measures to lower cost e.g.
purchase of bulk capacity across the border at
a volume discount.
Long term Continue working with international financial
institutions on regional connectivity projects.

11. 11
2# Availability: Domestic Connectivity
Recommendations
Open access Make existing and new national networks
available for fibre deployment.
Access sharing Encourage operators to share access.
IXP Increase the value of IXP to its members,
diversify the IXP base, and attract more
content.

12. 12
3# Availability: Last Mile Connectivity
Recommendations
Spectrum Ensure that mobile providers have sufficient
spectrum available, and that spectrum is
assigned in an open manner.
Infrastructure
sharing
Consider adoption or revision of regulations to
enable sharing of infrastructure.
Community
projects/ PPPs
Encourage and support community-based
projects and public private partnerships to
promote connectivity in remote and rural
areas.

13. 13
4# Adoption: Content and Security
Recommendations
Content Increase the amount of locally accessed
content by diversifying the local data centre
ecosystem. Seek opportunities to host and
share more caches and CDN nodes.
Security Collaborate among a broad set of
stakeholders, through platforms such as
Computer Emergency Response Teams
(CERTs) to achieve trust-enhancing security
solutions.

14. 14
5# Government: Policy and Regulatory
Environment
Recommendations
Internet data Collect and share Internet traffic data to
advance the Internet ecosystem.
E-government Continue implementation of the e-government
services to increase relevant local content.
Include campaigns to increase digital literacy.
Infrastructure Consider mapping existing and planned optical
fibre infrastructure to highlight “white areas” for
investment and/or government support.

15. 15
Maarit Palovirta (palovirta@isoc.org)
@European Regional Bureau
15
You can download the report at:
http://www.internetsociety.org/ru/publications/оценка-
интернет-среды-кыргызской-республики