ASHGABAT (TCA) — Authorities in Turkmenistan’s capital Ashgabat prevent the residents from installing satellite aerials on the facades of residential buildings and occasionally order public utilities staff to dismantle the dishes from the walls. As a result, people are now installing the aerials on the ground in front of their houses, independent foreign-based news website Chronicles of Turkmenistan reports.
Satellite television remains the only source of alternative information for the Turkmen residents.
Ashgabat residents are offered to get connected to cable television using the state provider Tukmentelecom. However, unlike satellite television, a monthly fee of 10 manats is charged for this service.
The cable television subscribers complain about the poor signal quality and “frozen” picture. Moreover, some television channels occasionally disappear from the television feed.
There are no independent radio and television channels and print media outlets in authoritarian Turkmenistan.
The Internet access remains extremely limited as well. The access to all social networks and information websites devoted to Turkmenistan is banned. The maximum announced connection speed is restricted to 2 Mbit/s but in fact it never reaches its maximum. The connection speed might drop down to 400-500 Kbit/s in the evening time. The monthly subscription fee is 350 manats, which makes up almost a quarter of an average salary in the country.
