Turkmenistan

Overview

Turkmenistan, formerly also known as Turkmenia, is one of the Turkic states in Central Asia. Until 1991, it was a constituent republic of the Soviet Union, the Turkmen Soviet Socialist Republic (Turkmen SSR). Turkmenistan is one of the six independent Turkic states. It is bordered by Afghanistan to the southeast, Iran to the south and southwest, Uzbekistan to the east and northeast, Kazakhstan to the north and northwest and the Caspian Sea to the west.

Turkmenistan’s telecommunications services are largely considered to be the least developed of all the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries. Türkmenistanyň Aragatnaşyk ministrligi is the governmental agency responsible for management of all telecommunications services including; internet, postal services, and radio-frequency spectrum.

Turkmenistan ranks among the most restricted societies in the world. The Internet is heavily regulated and available only to a small fraction of the population. Censorship is ubiquitous and extensive. Surveillance is significant, and the few citizens who benefit from access to the Internet are closely monitored by state agencies. Individual access to the Internet was first authorised in 2008, and access has since increased.

October 2017 saw the severing of Russian-owned MTS' communications links, forcing the company to suspend operations, and finally cease and dismantle its network in late 2018. The move has resulted in all wireless telecommunications access to be through state-owned TurkmenTelecom.