Kazakhstan’s Minister of Digital Development Bagdat Musin has given a briefing to the country’s President Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev on developments in the telecoms, IT and digitalisation sectors, including progress in the national strategy to ‘eliminate digital inequality and strengthen control over the provision of the internet and its quality.’ As reported on the websites of the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation & Aerospace Industry (MDAI) and the President (Akorda.kz), in full-year 2021 internet quality was ‘improved in 628 settlements, and this year similar work will be carried out in 140 more villages.’ The President was also informed about the successful testing of 5G technology by mobile operators in Nur-Sultan, Almaty and Shymkent, in advance of planned commercial 5G launches this year in major cities. As previously reported by CommsUpdate, the MDAI has scheduled a 5G 3500MHz spectrum licence auction for the end of May.
The Minister also presented a plan for further development of the telecommunications market, in particular highlighting that ‘work is underway to de-monopolise the group of companies of Kazakhtelecom’, adding that ‘a number of legislative initiatives will be adopted to improve the competitive environment.’ TeleGeography notes that in addition to dominating Kazakhstan’s fixed broadband and fixed voice markets, state-controlled Kazakhtelecom owns two mobile network operators – Kcell and Mobile Telecom Service (Tele2/Altel) – which collectively hold a near-60% share of national cellular subscriptions, competing with VEON-backed KaR-Tel (Beeline).