DUSHANBE, February 26, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- Cellular operators are continuing to express concern about efforts of the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MoTC) to establish a new regulatory system, the Unified Communications Center.

Representatives of Tajik cellular operators raised this issue at a February 25 meeting in Dushanbe with senior representatives of a MoTC.

As it had been reported earlier, for the first time, the ministry formulated the plan to establish the Unified Communications Center and Information Resource Unit under the Ministry of Communications in February 2006 already but the scheme was not implemented that time due to complaints of the cellular operators and criticism that came from international organizations. The ministry is pushing again for the establishment of the unified communications center.  Implementation of this project would require all telecommunications companies and Internet service providers (ISPs) to route their traffic through the center.

The center is expected to be established at the national operator Tajiktelecom.  The ministry has already sent the project for consideration to the government.

Cellular operators complain that if the Unified Electronic Communications Center becomes a reality, the government would obtain a virtual monopoly over telecommunications and Internet service.

Two weeks ago, the cellular operators released an open letter to the president asking to influence the situation around the center.