The President emphasized the importance of creating more attractive conditions for investors, as well as the need to expand the network of supercomputer clusters and data centers. He noted that about 70% of the expenses of such centers are related to electricity and proposed implementing preferential tariffs for investors.
According to the new conditions, the project will start in Karakalpakstan: for investors who invest more than 100 million dollars in artificial intelligence infrastructure, the electricity tariff will be 5 cents per kWh (while for legal entities it is 8.3 cents). These investors will also be able to take advantage of benefits for IT Park residents, and imported equipment will be exempt from customs duties.
“This will create serious opportunities for the accelerated development of the industry and will have a significant impact on the economy of Karakalpakstan,” added Mirziyoyev.
The head of state also reported that from 2026, satellite internet operators will begin operating in the country, providing high-speed internet to remote regions. These companies will be exempt from land, property tax, profit tax, and VAT for a period of five years.
It is worth noting that in March, representatives of the EU, Expertise France, the EIB, and the provider SES signed agreements on satellite internet for Central Asia in Tashkent. As European Commissioner Yozef Síkela noted, a regional satellite gateway could be established in Uzbekistan.
At the beginning of October, Uzbekistan preliminarily agreed with Amazon to launch satellite internet. The Ministry of Digital Technologies and Amazon Kuiper Commercial Service signed a memorandum of understanding.
Kazakhstan became the first country in Central Asia where the Starlink satellite internet from Elon Musk's SpaceX started operating in August 2024 — the most affordable tariff is about $43 per month. In October, a similar agreement with Starlink was concluded by the Tajik Communication Service, and the launch of the system in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan is expected in 2025-2026. Initially, the connection of Uzbekistan was planned for 2023.
