NUMBER OF INTERNET USERS REACHES 675,000, MOBILE USERS 544,100

The number of Internet users in Uzbekistan reached some 675,000, having grown by 37% year-on-year, the government of Uzbekistan said. Complex on information systems and telecommunication of the Cabinet of Ministers held a session to sum up the results of the sector’s development in 2004 and consider priority tasks for 2005. The volume of rendered services in information system and telecommunication sphere comprised 300 billion soums in 2004. Exports volume increased by 29.7%. The number of Internet service operators and providers rose by 81.4% to 477. The coverage of digital telecommunication network in the cities and regional centres of the country made up 89.4% and 72.5% respectively last year. The number of mobile communication users reached 544,100 or 68% more compared to 2003. Uzdunrobita is the largest mobile operator in the country with some 310,000 subscribers.