Uztelecom Upgrades 1,566 Base Stations as Uzbek 5G Build-Out Expands

Uztelecom has upgraded 1,566 base stations and launched 380 new sites across Uzbekistan, with 375 stations now supporting 5G, the state-owned operator said in a statement.

The work covers the Republic of Karakalpakstan, all 12 regions of Uzbekistan and the capital Tashkent as of October 18, 2026. The figure marks the completion of a nationwide modernisation programme that exceeded its original target on upgrades while falling short on new builds.

Uztelecom completed 1,566 base station upgrades against a plan of 1,507 — 59 sites, or roughly 4%, above target. New-site deployment lags. The operator launched 380 new stations against a target of 431, leaving 51 sites outstanding. That rollout continues.

Where did the work land?

Tashkent city recorded the highest number of modernised stations, at 194, followed by Tashkent region with 189. Samarkand region led new deployments with 62 stations, while Tashkent city and Kashkadarya region each received 52.

The operator also completed 442 frequency expansion works. Uztelecom said these increase network capacity to handle growing demand for mobile data, particularly during peak periods.

How far does 5G reach?

The 5G footprint remains concentrated in the capital. Tashkent city hosts 189 of the 5G-capable stations, and Samarkand region follows with 84. Together the two account for nearly three-quarters of the 375 5G sites.

Uztelecom said 5G infrastructure is present in all 14 administrative regions of the country. Availability at individual locations, the operator cautioned, depends on local coverage and device compatibility. The caveat matters in a market where 5G handset penetration is uneven outside the largest cities.

What does this change for subscribers?

The expansion is intended to improve connection stability, raise capacity in busy areas and extend coverage for services including video calls, distance learning and business applications. For users in Tashkent and Samarkand, the density of 5G-capable sites points to the most tangible gains in throughput and consistency during congestion.

For subscribers in regional areas, the immediate benefit comes largely from the modernisation programme and frequency expansions rather than from 5G itself, since only 190 of the 375 5G stations sit outside the two leading markets. The 1,566 upgraded stations, spread across every region, form the bulk of the practical improvement.

Targets met, targets pending

The mixed scorecard is the substance of the announcement. Uztelecom over-delivered on modernising existing infrastructure by 59 stations and under-delivered on new sites by 51. The company did not state a completion date for the remaining builds, only that the rollout of new sites remains ongoing.

Commercial claims sit alongside measurable facts. The statement frames the programme as support for video calls, distance learning and business applications; the hard numbers behind that framing are the 1,946 upgraded or new stations, the 442 frequency expansions and the 375 5G-capable sites.

Uzbekistan's telecom sector remains dominated by state ownership, and Uztelecom's build-out is the principal instrument of national mobile coverage policy outside the private operators. The regional distribution of the work — upgrades in every region, 5G concentrated in Tashkent and Samarkand — signals where the operator sees demand and revenue density today.

The outstanding 51 new sites and the October 18, 2026 cut-off date define the next milestone for watchers of the market: whether Uztelecom closes the gap on new deployments and extends 5G density beyond the capital and Samarkand in the coming reporting cycle.