Sources at “Chronicles of Turkmenistan” report that Russian channels TNT, TNT+4, TNT+7, TNT-Komedia and Pyatnitsa have disappeared from the package of TV channels in the IP television feed in Turkmenistan.
Representatives of “Ashgabat municipal telephone network” do not inform whether the broadcasting will be resumed.
On 27 May the announcement of “Ashgabat municipal telephone network” on launching the tender to supply, assemble and activate IPTV equipment was published in the newspaper “Neitralny Turkmenistan”.
Let us recall that within a few past years the authorities of Turkmenistan have been carrying out active campaigns to forcibly dismantle satellite aerials and offer fee-based connection to IP television instead.
The authorities claim that satellite aerials spoil the external image of the city. The real reason might be that the satellite channel is impossible to control. Thus, many residents listened to Radio “Azatlyk” which often criticize the authorities of the country.
Many residents are discontent with this recently-introduced requirement as they now have to pay for the purchase and installation of new equipment as well as to pay a monthly subscription fee.
To subscribe to IPVT an apartment owner needs to come to the local exchange network with a passport.The initial amount to be paid is 20 manats for the service and 10 manats for the first month of the subscription.
Further on a monthly fee of 10 manats for using IPTV applies.The installation of an additional TV access point will cost 1 manat per month.
It should be mentioned that the average price of a receiver (tuner) with IP broadcasting amounts to 300 manats. Moreover, a cable (which costs 1,5 manats and more per meter) and a network switch (in case there are several network connection points) need to be purchased.
As of today, there are 91 channels in the IPTV package.The music channels as well as TNT, “Pyatnitsa” and NTV are most popular with residents.
Many residents of Turkmenistan prefer to rent films and watch them at home.Residents use IPTV to watch news or some selected programs.However, the quality of television broadcasting leaves much to be desired.
Occasionally, a tuner needs to be restarted.Sometimes some channels are not operational.For this reason residents have started installing antennae on the roofs and porches of the houses.