Capital city, Turkmenistan
Internet in Ashgabat: speed, SIM cards and coworking
Is the internet good in Ashgabat?
Median fixed broadband in Turkmenistan is 2 Mbps (Speedtest Global Index, 2026-05). Few cafés have wifi; assume heavy filtering and slow speeds.
Getting online in Ashgabat
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Home fibre | Home internet is slow and expensive; hotels may offer wifi that is filtered and unreliable. |
| Cafés and coworking | Few cafés have wifi; assume heavy filtering and slow speeds. |
| Outages | Frequent slowdowns; services like WhatsApp and Telegram are blocked. |
| Tourist SIM | TMCELL is the only real option; getting a SIM as a tourist is slow, so ask your agency. Mobile internet is slow and filtered. |
| Carriers | TMCELL |
| Blocked services | Most foreign social networks and messengers (WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, YouTube) and nearly all VPNs are blocked; locals use imo. |
Coworking in Ashgabat
There's no dedicated coworking scene here; people work from cafés and accommodation.
Internet speeds in Central Asia & Caucasus
National medians, Speedtest Global Index.
| Country | Fixed | Mobile |
|---|---|---|
| Uzbekistan | 94 Mbps | 61 Mbps |
| Azerbaijan | 93 Mbps | 99 Mbps |
| Armenia | 90 Mbps | 76 Mbps |
| Kyrgyzstan | 89 Mbps | 52 Mbps |
| Kazakhstan | 88 Mbps | 88 Mbps |
| Georgia | 52 Mbps | 147 Mbps |
| Tajikistan | 49 Mbps | — |
| Turkmenistan | 2 Mbps | — |
Quick answers
Is the internet fast in Ashgabat?
Median fixed broadband in Turkmenistan is 2 Mbps (Speedtest Global Index, 2026-05). Few cafés have wifi; assume heavy filtering and slow speeds.
Which SIM card should I get in Ashgabat?
TMCELL is the only real option; getting a SIM as a tourist is slow, so ask your agency. Mobile internet is slow and filtered.
More about Ashgabat
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Sources
Speeds are medians from Ookla's Speedtest Global Index, cited for reference. Compiled and reviewed by SoloSquare. How we compile and score this. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.