Further Development of JSC Uztelecom's Telecommunications Infrastructure in Eastern and Western Regions

The following results were achieved through project implementation:

• Significantly expanded mobile network coverage in populated areas and major highways:

• Mobile coverage on the Tashkent-Bukhara highway increased to 96% (LTE)

• Increased transport network capacity for DWDM and IP/MPLS, including creation of communication channels from Bukhara ICPC toward border connection points — up to 1 Tbit/s

• Expanded storage capacity of the existing Data Storage and Processing Center to 6.4 PB

Broadband access coverage in Tashkent increased:

• 3G/4G technologies — from 97% to 99%

• 5G technology — to 60%

Broadband access coverage in Samarkand increased:

• 3G/4G technologies — from 96% to 99%

• 5G technology — to 50%

• In other populated areas with 3G/4G technologies — from 74% to 94%

DWDM and IP/MPLS

Geographic and logistic complexity of the regions:

Uzbekistan's eastern and western regions encompass diverse terrain: from the mountainous areas of the Fergana Valley to the steppe and desert zones of Karakalpakstan and Khorezm. Constructing 2,269 new facilities and modernizing 3,883 existing base stations requires working in extreme climatic conditions (temperatures from -20°C in winter to +45°C in summer), as well as addressing access challenges to remote sites. For example, expanding coverage on the Tashkent-Bukhara highway to 96% LTE requires installing equipment in zones with limited transport accessibility, increasing supply costs by 25–30%.

Technical complexity of ensuring advanced technologies:

Integrating 503 5G devices (234 new and 269 modernized) alongside existing 3G/4G infrastructure required synchronizing heterogeneous systems from two vendors (Huawei and ZTE). This involved deploying DWDM and IP/MPLS connections with capacity up to 1 Tbit/s, as well as expanding virtual data center storage to 6.4 PB. Challenges arose from the need to minimize network downtime (no more than 0.5% during peak periods) and ensure compliance with international standards at connection points with neighboring countries. We applied hybrid modeling approaches (using partner tools) to test scenarios, but this required round-the-clock team work and real-time adjustments.

Regulatory and resource challenges:

The project was implemented under strict compliance with national security standards and environmental regulations, including coordination with the Ministry of Digital Technologies and frequency regulators. Additionally, constructing over 337,000 broadband subscriber ports and updating IPTV/OTT platforms for 150,000 users required engaging more than 5,000 specialists, including local engineers and expatriates.

Financial and operational complexity:

The total budget exceeded $500 million USD, distributed by phases (construction — 40%, modernization — 35%, equipment — 25%). Risk management relied on hedging currency fluctuations and fixed-term contracts. The scale — from highway coverage to strategic corridors — required a flexible approach: weekly sprints and KPI monitoring, which improved efficiency by 20% compared to standard models.

Despite these challenges, the project complexity was rated at a high level (8/10), but thanks to close partnership with Huawei and ZTE, as well as our team's expertise, we completed it 15% ahead of schedule. This not only increased 3G/4G coverage to 99% in Tashkent and Samarkand, but also laid the foundation for the country's digital transformation.

The project implemented a large-scale set of activities for telecommunications infrastructure development and expansion in the regions, including construction of new facilities, modernization of existing capacity, and deployment of advanced communication technologies.

• Installed 7,922 base stations supporting 3G/4G/5G technologies at 2,269 new sites, including 234 5G base stations

• Modernized 4,946 base stations supporting 3G/4G/5G at 3,883 existing sites, including 269 5G stations

• Built over 337,000 broadband access subscriber ports

• Updated IPTV/OTT platforms, improving service quality for 150,000 users