The invention of the telegraph, telephone, radio, and computer set the stage for this unprecedented integration of capabilities. The Internet is at once a world-wide broadcasting capability, a mechanism for information dissemination, and a medium for collaboration and interaction between individuals and their computers without regard for geographic location. The Internet represents one of the most successful examples of the benefits of sustained investment and commitment to research and development of information infrastructure. Beginning with the early research in packet switching, the government, industry and academia have been partners in evolving and deploying this exciting new technology. The Internet first appeared in Uzbekistan in 1995.
Technical issues prevent the Internet from becoming more widespread in Uzbekistan.
Only 3 percent of the people in 1996 had access to the Internet. On 23 July 1997, the President issued a decree entitled On measures to Reorganize and Improve the Management ot the Information Systems Sector . There is tremendous interest in exploring the Internet on the part of scientific researchers, students, and teachers. The creation of an academic network, includint not only universities but also NGOs, would give an opportunity to help with the ongoing economic reforms in Uzbekistan. Today, the Internet is becoming more and more important for the nongovernmental sector because it enables those in that sector to work as a team to solve problem in such areas as social status, ecology, and mass media.