As part of this initiative, Kazakhstan aims to strengthen its position as a leading country in the field of digital communication in the region. As explained by Madiyev, satellite internet will be available for countries such as Tajikistan, Mongolia, and Kyrgyzstan through gateway stations that have already been installed in Kazakhstan. This year, traffic for Tajikistan is expected to be launched, while for Mongolia and Kyrgyzstan, this will happen in the near future. Uzbekistan is also interested in offering off-take contracts based on the Trans-Caspian fiber-optic communication line.
In addition, the minister reported that this year, 1,900 villages in Kazakhstan will gain access to the fiber-optic network, and by next year, this figure will increase to over 90%. All republican roads will be connected to this infrastructure, and internet access will also be available on key passenger transport routes of Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) and on board local airlines.
In October of last year, the minister also announced plans to deploy a 5G network in 20 cities by 2027, covering 60% to 75% of the population. By that time, Kazakhstan intends to achieve 100% internet coverage for the population, with connection speeds exceeding 100 megabits per second. Optical communication lines are expected to cover 90% of rural settlements.
At the beginning of 2023, the country's president instructed to accelerate the implementation of the 5G network in regional centers, setting a deadline for completion by the end of 2025, instead of the initially planned 2027.
