Starlink intends to enter Uzbekistan, launch satellite internet

In May, a representative of SpaceX, which owns the Starlink project, arrived in Tashkent as part of an international conference on space technology. Representatives of the Ministry of ICT Development and Uzbekkosmos invited the company and the Starlink project to Uzbekistan.

It is unknown when the project will be launched, how it will work, what to expect from satellite internet in Uzbekistan, and how much it will cost.

In 2018, the Minister of Innovative Development Ibrokhim Abdurakhmanov said that Uzbekistan will launch its own satellite, which will “suddenly change life” in the country, in particular, the speed of the Internet will increase. But since then there has been almost nothing new in this direction.

In March 2022, Uzbekkosmos director Shukhrat Kadirov said that launching satellite internet was slower and more expensive, so it would not be profitable to launch it. According to Kadirov, the expansion of fiber-optic Internet in Uzbekistan is more effective.

Given the launch of Uzbekistan’s own satellite is not on the agenda now, Starlink Internet could be a good opportunity to take the country’s telecommunications network to a new level.

According to Ookla’s Speedtest service, currently the Fixed Broadband Internet connection in Singapore is 207.6 Mbit/s. In this regard, Uzbekistan ranks 84th with a speed of 39.7 Mbit/s.

The Starlink Internet project offers internet speeds of up to 500 Mbit/s. So, it is at least 2 times faster than the current highest speed mobile internet.

However, not everyone can afford to enjoy high-speed internet. You need to buy a package of satellite internet devices and pay a monthly subscription fee. The tariffs offered by Starlink are as follows:

•  Starlink Internet tariff – at the speed of 50-250 Mbit/s; the device is $599, monthly payment is $110.
•  Starlink Business tariff plan – at the speed of 150-500 Mbit/s; the device is $2,500, monthly payment is $599.
•  Starlink RV tariff – 50-250 Mbit/s, the device is $599, monthly payment is $135.

Apparently, the tariffs are not cheap, however, the prices of quality internet cannot be said to be too expensive for the business.