Stay Connected in Tashkent
Network coverage, costs, and options
Connectivity Overview
Tashkent's connectivity situation has improved quite a bit over the past few years, though it's still developing compared to what you might be used to back home. You'll find decent 4G coverage in the city center and main tourist areas, with speeds that work fine for messaging, maps, and social media. Video calls are usually manageable, though you might hit some buffering during peak hours. The main mobile operators—Ucell, Beeline, and UMS (formerly Uzmobile)—all offer reasonably reliable service within the city limits. Coverage gets spottier once you venture into more remote areas or the mountains, fair warning. Most hotels and cafes offer WiFi, though the quality varies pretty wildly from place to place.
Get Connected Before You Land
We recommend Airalo for peace of mind. Buy your eSIM now and activate it when you arrive—no hunting for SIM card shops, no language barriers, no connection problems. Just turn it on and you're immediately connected in Tashkent.
Network Coverage & Speed
The three main carriers in Tashkent are Ucell, Beeline, and UMS. Ucell tends to have the best coverage overall and is what most locals recommend, particularly if you're planning day trips outside the capital. Beeline's speeds are generally competitive in urban areas, and they've got decent English-language support if you need help. UMS is the budget option—it works, but you'll notice slower data speeds and more coverage gaps.
You'll get 4G/LTE in most parts of Tashkent proper, with speeds typically ranging from 10-30 Mbps depending on where you are and time of day. That's enough for Google Maps, WhatsApp calls, and streaming music without issues. Video streaming works on lower quality settings. 5G is starting to roll out in some areas, but it's not widespread yet and honestly not something to count on for your trip. Once you're outside the main city—heading to Chimgan or rural areas—expect service to drop to 3G or disappear entirely in some spots.
How to Stay Connected
eSIM
eSIMs have become a genuinely practical option for Tashkent, and they solve a lot of the hassles that used to come with getting connected. You can set everything up before you leave home, and you're connected the moment you land—no hunting for SIM card shops or dealing with language barriers. Providers like Airalo offer Uzbekistan plans that work across all the local networks, which gives you decent coverage without needing to pick the "right" carrier.
The convenience factor is real: no tiny SIM cards to fumble with, no passport photocopies, no wondering if the airport kiosk is overcharging tourists. You'll pay a bit more than a local SIM—maybe $15-25 for a week's worth of data versus $5-10 locally—but for most travelers, that premium buys you peace of mind and saves you an hour of confusion at the airport when you're jet-lagged and just want to get to your hotel.
Local SIM Card
If you want to go the local SIM route, you can pick one up at the airport, official carrier shops around the city, or even some convenience stores—though the airport and official shops are your safest bet for avoiding complications. You'll need your passport, and they'll make a photocopy for registration (it's a legal requirement in Uzbekistan). The process takes maybe 15-30 minutes if there's not a queue.
Prices are genuinely cheap: you're looking at around 50,000-100,000 som ($5-10) for a tourist package with several GB of data valid for 7-30 days, depending on the carrier and plan. Ucell's tourist packages tend to be the most straightforward. That said, the airport kiosks sometimes try to upsell tourists on more expensive plans than necessary, so it helps to know roughly what you should be paying. Activation is usually immediate, though occasionally it takes an hour or so to fully kick in.
Comparison
Local SIMs are definitely the cheapest option—roughly half the cost of an eSIM for similar data. If you're on an extremely tight budget and comfortable navigating the purchase process, it's worth considering. Roaming from your home carrier is almost always expensive and often unreliable in Uzbekistan, so I'd skip that unless you just need connectivity for a few hours. eSIMs hit the sweet spot for most travelers: yes, you pay a bit more, but you get instant connectivity, no language barriers, and no time wasted. For a week-long trip, the $10-15 difference is pretty negligible compared to the convenience.
Staying Safe on Public WiFi
Public WiFi in Tashkent—hotels, cafes, the airport—is about as secure as public WiFi anywhere, which is to say not very. The risk isn't necessarily malicious hackers lurking on every network, but these open connections make it pretty easy for someone with basic tech skills to intercept what you're doing. That's a bigger deal when you're traveling because you're constantly logging into booking sites, checking bank accounts, and maybe accessing work email—all the stuff you really don't want someone else seeing.
A VPN encrypts your connection so even if someone's watching the network traffic, they just see gibberish. NordVPN is a solid choice that works reliably in Uzbekistan and is straightforward to set up even if you're not particularly tech-savvy. Worth having for any trip where you'll be using WiFi you don't control.
Protect Your Data with a VPN
When using hotel WiFi, airport networks, or cafe hotspots in Tashkent, your personal data and banking information can be vulnerable. A VPN encrypts your connection, keeping your passwords, credit cards, and private communications safe from hackers on the same network.
Our Recommendations
First-time visitors: Honestly, just get an eSIM through Airalo before you leave. You'll land in Tashkent with working data immediately, which means you can grab a taxi with Yandex, message your hotel, and pull up maps without stress. The airport SIM card process isn't terrible, but when you're tired and dealing with a new currency and language, having one less thing to figure out is worth the extra $10-15.
Budget travelers: If you're genuinely counting every dollar, a local SIM will save you maybe $10-15 over an eSIM for a week. That's real money on a tight budget, so it's a valid choice—just factor in the time and mental energy of sorting it out when you arrive. For most budget travelers, the eSIM convenience is actually worth the modest premium.
Long-term stays: If you're staying a month or more, get a local SIM. The cost savings add up over time, and you'll have more flexibility to top up or change plans. You're also more likely to need a local number for things like registering with services or getting delivery.
Business travelers: eSIM is the only sensible option. Your time is valuable, you need reliable connectivity from the moment you land, and the last thing you want is to waste 45 minutes at an airport kiosk when you could be heading to your meeting.
Our Top Pick: Airalo
For convenience, price, and safety, we recommend Airalo. Purchase your eSIM before your trip and activate it upon arrival—you'll have instant connectivity without the hassle of finding a local shop, dealing with language barriers, or risking being offline when you first arrive. It's the smart, safe choice for staying connected in Tashkent.
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