Turkmenistan

The first connection from Turkmenistan to the global Internet was registered in May 1997; although, there had been some earlier irregular contact. Information Technology (IT) is regulated by the "Laws on Communication" adopted December 20, 1996. A Presidential Decree of February 24, 2000 under this law established "Provision 4584," relating to licensing activities, and gave strong powers to the Ministry of Communication. As a result a number of licenses were repealed. The state provider STC "Turkmen Telecom" has become essentially the only method of access.

It is presidential policy reflected in the "Social and Economic Reforms in Turkmenistan in the Period to 2010" decree to develop advanced IT in Turkmenistan. At present the Web site hosts per thousand is 0.004/1000, a very low participation. Internet users are listed at 0.24/1000, and the number of country domains at 0.006/1000. According to IT Forecaster research, Turkmenistan belongs to the category of Strollers—countries that face more difficulties in catching up since their populations and infrastructures constrain IT expression.

Due to a lack of infrastructure, most Internet access center activity provides access to NGOs. An Internet Access and Training Project Center is administered by IREX and is a part of the American Center. The Center provides Internet training and the use of a computer room for alumni of U.S. funded educational programs. In May of 2000 the number of Internet registered users was 1200, 40 percent of whom were private users. Over 95 percent of Internet and e-mail users are in Ashgabat.

The Turkmen-Turkish University (TTU) is the only educational structure that provides Internet access and instructs students on use of the Internet. The university has over 100 connected computers; 20 of them are for student use, 50 for use in laboratories, and 30 for the faculty. TTU enrolls 730 out of the total of 21,000 students in Turkmenistan. There are two educationally based Web sites. Of the 30 known Web sites, some of which are based internationally, 13 are in Russian, 8 in English, 7 with English and Russian and 2 in Turkmen. The major barrier to further expansion is the "last mile" problem, the lack of electrical infrastructure and equipment.

Turkmenistan joined the World Bank in September 1992. The Bank's lending program, designed to provide impetus to the implementation of critical structural reforms through the provision of technical assistance and institution building, started with an Institution Building Technical Assistance Loan (US$25 million) that was approved in 1994. The project is currently being restructured to focus on improved budget management and computerization.

Contrary to initial expectations that Turkey would play a "big brother" role in Turkmenistan's social and cultural development following independence, Turkmenistan charts its own course in such matters. An example is the adoption of a Latin script that owes little if anything to that used for Turkish. However, Turkey has played a prominent role in the development of Turkmenistan's economic potential. Turkish firms are constructing US$1 billion worth of enterprises, stores, and hotels in Turkmenistan. The Turkish Development and Cooperation Agency manages a slate of projects in agriculture, civil aviation, education, health care, minerals extraction, reconstruction of infrastructure, initiation of small enterprises, and the construction of a complex of mosques and religious schools. Turkish high schools and universities are hosting more than 2,000 Turkmenistani students, and in 1994 Turkey began daily four-hour television broadcasts to the republic.