Country Readiness Assessment Report – Kyrgyzstan of pay-for-telephone services is possible only upon full transfer to telephones with chip-cards. Coin telephones are not well suited for accounting purposes. The transfer to a time-based calculation of telephone conversations assumes a system of advance payment for telephone cards. Merely shifting to a different technology with prepaid telephone cards could revive the pay-fortelephone market without additional, substantial investments. This could be achieved simply by re-equipping functioning coin-telephones. 3.3 Internet in the Kyrgyz Republic 3.3.1 Informational computer networks coming into being in the Kyrgyz Republic (19911993) The history of informational computer networks for the public in the Kyrgyz Republic began in 1991, when a server of the “Ala-Too” telecommunications network was founded, working via Almaty’s RICC server and serving about 20 subscribers. In May 1992, the “Imfiko” (“Imfiko” firm) network subscriber gained the official status of the RELCOM network function, serving about 50 network subscribers by the end of 1992, and sending information through Russian networks. 3.3.2 History of Internet services (1994-1996) Two companies (ElCat and AsiaInfo) were founded in 1994, and these are currently the largest Internet providers on Kyrgyz Republic territory. The joint state-private venture firm ElCat was founded in 1994, based on the IMFIKO server of the “RELCOM” network in Kyrgyzstan, to fulfill the national network creation project. The ElCat firm provided e-mail delivery on the territory of Kyrgyzstan, connection with CIS countries and, since 1995, a full Internet services package connecting to networks all over the world. The ASIAINFO telecommunications enterprise was founded in 1994 as the Kyrgyz branch of the INFOTEL network to provide services using the X.25 protocol. Founders of this firm were the Russian firm INFOTEL and KyrgyzTelecom. TheEnterprise provides connection with more than 200 data transfer networks using the X.25 protocol, and with the Internet society, using the TCP/IP protocol. In 1995, one more company appeared on the network services market – Transfer LTD. 3.3.3 The early Internet development period (1997-1998) The further development of the Internet services market in Kyrgyzstan was interrelated with the reconstruction of telecommunications. In 1997, providers and users considerably improved the quality of modems. Modems with a speed lower than 19,2 Kb/s, although widely spread, were changed for devices of V.34 and V.34+ standards (28,8/33,6 Kb/s). During this period, for the first time non-commercial providers appeared on the Internet services market in Kyrgyzstan: FreeNet (IRIS) TCP/IP, FR 27 ElCat