Uzbektelecom has switched on two Tier III-certified data centers in Bukhara and Kokand, giving Uzbekistan's public and private sectors new AI and GPU cloud options while boosting digital resilience nationwide.
ICT Week Uzbekistan 2026 saw a major shift. Uzbektelecom powered up two new Tier III-certified data centers in Bukhara and Kokand. These sites push the country's AI and cloud reach far past Tashkent. The opening drew top officials: Minister of Digital Technologies Sherzod Shermatov, Japanese Ambassador Kenji Hirata, and Uzbektelecom Chairman Nazirjon Khasanov. The message was clear. This is a national and international milestone.
Bukhara and Kokand now host the most distant data centers from the capital-over 300 kilometers away. This isn't just about distance. Their location adds a vital disaster recovery layer. If Tashkent's systems go down, key data and services stay online. Both centers hold Tier III Design certification from Uptime Institute. That means 99.982% uptime and full maintainability. These are strict standards, matching European data center rules.
AI cloud and GPU power at the edge
AI sits at the core of these new centers. Uzbektelecom's AI Cloud project brings dedicated GPU servers to Bukhara and Kokand. These machines are built for AI training, machine learning, image recognition, video analytics, and digital twin work. With GPU-as-a-service (GPUaaS), government, business, and tech firms can tap high-performance computing. No need to build their own expensive setups. The GPU clusters handle large-scale parallel jobs. They support frameworks like TensorFlow and PyTorch. Security is tight. Virtualization platforms keep tenants isolated, following best practices from the Agenzia per la Cybersicurezza Nazionale for critical infrastructure.
UzCloud platform and national connectivity
Uztelecom is expanding access to computational resources and AI capabilities for both government and business, enabling a new era of digital services and innovation across Uzbekistan.
Strategic vision and future expansion
The Ministry of Digital Technologies has confirmed a fifth Tier III-certified data center is coming to Zangiata in Tashkent region. The target: finish by Q3 2026. This site will pilot an all-photonic network (APN) based on Japan's IOWN concept. Partners include Toyota Tsusho, NTT Docomo Business, and NEC. The APN will deliver ultra-high bandwidth and near-zero latency. It's built for next-gen AI and real-time analytics at scale.
Editorial analysis
This isn't just a tech upgrade. Uzbektelecom is making a play for digital sovereignty and AI leadership in Central Asia. By spreading out critical infrastructure and opening up GPU power nationwide, the company is lowering the bar for local innovation. Uzbekistan's digital backbone is getting stronger. The Zangiata project shows this is only the start. For public and private sectors, the tools for advanced AI and resilient cloud are here now. No more waiting.
