tional connections. However, the state telecom
continues to enjoy exclusive rights to national
long-distance and international services, thus
thwarting mobile operators and ISPs from entering the market. A licensing regime exists for providing Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services. To obtain a license, companies are required
to contribute twenty million som (approximately
USD517,000) to develop IT infrastructure. Once
an applicant obtains the license, it may resell
VoIP services to another company.
In 2002 the state declared ICT development
to be a priority by way of the National Strategy on
Information and Communication Technologies for
Development of the Kyrgyz Republic. 9 Eager to
harness Internet capabilities to stimulate economic growth, the government has encouraged
e-government, e-education, and the e-economy. 10 For example, under a joint program
between the government and international organizations, 95 percent of central government bodies, and 50 percent of local ones, have Internet
access and provide online information about
their services. 11 However, the cyber presence
of political opposition is limited. ONI detected
only three Kyrgyz Web sites belonging to political
parties. 12
The main institution responsible for the sector is the national ICT Council. The presidential
administration has made efforts to introduce
restrictive measures to control Internet content. In
the spring of 2005 members of the government
proposed amendments to the law on mass
media that would have led to blocking all “.ru”
domain sites containing offensive information on
Kyrgyzstan. In turn, this would have limited
Kyrgyz access to sources solely on the “.kg”
domain, which is regulated by local authorities.
Although this proposal was rejected, it revealed a
shift in official attitudes toward Internet development in the country.
The National Communications Agency
(NCA) is directly responsible to the President. It
has taken over most of the responsibilities of the
Ministry of Transportation and Communication in
the telecommunication sector. The NCA regulates and supervises postal and electronic communication companies, issues licenses, and
monitors the Internet. 13
Kyrgyz security laws do not explicitly apply
to Internet activities. However, the National
Security Law of 2003 provides for the creation of
specialized communication and information
security bodies within the structures of the
National Security Service. The Security Council
will be inter alia responsible for examining internal
and external policy questions in the field of information security. In 2005, a government resolution
on the Program for Information Security was
adopted, but it lacked precise definitions for what
constitutes commercial secrets, state secrets,
and private information. This absence of clear
terminology may lead to variable interpretations,
which could create space for potential abuse.
Furthermore, the program does not exhaustively
list what types of information can be limited,
which again can allow for the broadening of the
scope of restricted information.
There is no legislation allowing the national
security services to organize surveillance over the
Internet. In fact, KT itself launched a technical
investigation to prevent “gray traffic.” Possible
surveillance exercised by state officials may take
place at the ISP level. In July 2006, the State
Agency for Intellectual Property proposed to create an Inter-Departmental Commission on State
Regulation of the Kyrgyz Segment of Internet.
This institution, which follows an existing Russian
model, would coordinate the activity of the executive power bodies and organizations participating in the Kyrgyz segment of Internet. The implementation of restrictive measures by such an
institution would deter further development of
Internet in Kyrgyzstan.
ONI testing results
ONI conducted testing from various access
points on all seven first tier ISPs: Aknet, AsiaInfo,
Country Summaries
319
continues to enjoy exclusive rights to national
long-distance and international services, thus
thwarting mobile operators and ISPs from entering the market. A licensing regime exists for providing Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services. To obtain a license, companies are required
to contribute twenty million som (approximately
USD517,000) to develop IT infrastructure. Once
an applicant obtains the license, it may resell
VoIP services to another company.
In 2002 the state declared ICT development
to be a priority by way of the National Strategy on
Information and Communication Technologies for
Development of the Kyrgyz Republic. 9 Eager to
harness Internet capabilities to stimulate economic growth, the government has encouraged
e-government, e-education, and the e-economy. 10 For example, under a joint program
between the government and international organizations, 95 percent of central government bodies, and 50 percent of local ones, have Internet
access and provide online information about
their services. 11 However, the cyber presence
of political opposition is limited. ONI detected
only three Kyrgyz Web sites belonging to political
parties. 12
The main institution responsible for the sector is the national ICT Council. The presidential
administration has made efforts to introduce
restrictive measures to control Internet content. In
the spring of 2005 members of the government
proposed amendments to the law on mass
media that would have led to blocking all “.ru”
domain sites containing offensive information on
Kyrgyzstan. In turn, this would have limited
Kyrgyz access to sources solely on the “.kg”
domain, which is regulated by local authorities.
Although this proposal was rejected, it revealed a
shift in official attitudes toward Internet development in the country.
The National Communications Agency
(NCA) is directly responsible to the President. It
has taken over most of the responsibilities of the
Ministry of Transportation and Communication in
the telecommunication sector. The NCA regulates and supervises postal and electronic communication companies, issues licenses, and
monitors the Internet. 13
Kyrgyz security laws do not explicitly apply
to Internet activities. However, the National
Security Law of 2003 provides for the creation of
specialized communication and information
security bodies within the structures of the
National Security Service. The Security Council
will be inter alia responsible for examining internal
and external policy questions in the field of information security. In 2005, a government resolution
on the Program for Information Security was
adopted, but it lacked precise definitions for what
constitutes commercial secrets, state secrets,
and private information. This absence of clear
terminology may lead to variable interpretations,
which could create space for potential abuse.
Furthermore, the program does not exhaustively
list what types of information can be limited,
which again can allow for the broadening of the
scope of restricted information.
There is no legislation allowing the national
security services to organize surveillance over the
Internet. In fact, KT itself launched a technical
investigation to prevent “gray traffic.” Possible
surveillance exercised by state officials may take
place at the ISP level. In July 2006, the State
Agency for Intellectual Property proposed to create an Inter-Departmental Commission on State
Regulation of the Kyrgyz Segment of Internet.
This institution, which follows an existing Russian
model, would coordinate the activity of the executive power bodies and organizations participating in the Kyrgyz segment of Internet. The implementation of restrictive measures by such an
institution would deter further development of
Internet in Kyrgyzstan.
ONI testing results
ONI conducted testing from various access
points on all seven first tier ISPs: Aknet, AsiaInfo,
Country Summaries
319