Uzbekistan’s state-owned mobile provider Mobiuz has begun offering 5G services in areas of Tashkent.
All Mobiuz subscribers with 5G-capable devices can activate the service to access data speeds of “up to 300Mbps” free of charge. In addition, the operator has introduced a new 5G tariff priced at a monthly rate of UZS75,000 (US$6.80) that it claims can deliver speeds as high as 1Gbps. Mobiuz has also claimed that 5G users will experience substantial latency improvements.
The network is currently powered by eight 5G base stations located around the city. TeleGeography reports that Mobiuz received a soft loan of US$150 million from the Chinese state in August 2019 to help the operator invest in its network up until 2023 – including substantial equipment overhauls, nationwide 3G & 4G coverage expansion, internet upgrade and the implementation of 5G - all using equipment provided by Huawei.
Rival operator Uzbektelecom is also working with Huawei to deliver 5G in the market, and commenced pre-trial tests in September 2019. Ucell was the first operator in the country to launch a limited 5G network in Tashkent’s financial district in April 2021.