Kyrgyzstan has decided to nationalise access to international internet traffic for a year. A presidential decree earlier this week said the government was "establishing a temporary 100% state monopoly on the supply and provision of international internet traffic on the territory of the Kyrgyz Republic”.
Given that the monopoly will be in place from 15 August 2025 to 14 August 2026, the term "temporary" may be open to dispute. In any case, as a number of news organisations have noted, it was not clear from the decree whether it can be extended – or indeed why it was deemed necessary in the first place
No explanation or details were given by officials, including Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov, whose decree only says the move was needed for "creating conditions for further improvement of digital transformation”. A local news report expands on this slightly, saying the measure is intended to improve the management of the country’s digital and telecommunications infrastructure, streamline internet traffic, and enhance communication quality.
However, Reuters adds that Kyrgyzstan recently banned access to online pornography to "protect moral and ethical values", and notes that Kyrgyzstan has seen increasing pressure on opposition groups and independent media since Japarov’s populist and nationalist party swept to power on a wave of protests in 2020. It adds that the government has made the protection of what are called traditional Kyrgyz values a centrepiece of his agenda.
All telecommunications operators and internet service providers (ISPs) currently working with international traffic will be required to transfer their agreements and contracts for cooperation with state-owned telecoms company ElCat within two months. The government will transfer 100% of the shares of ISP Aknet to ElCat to strengthen its capabilities.
