Kyrgyz state-owned national fixed network operator Kyrgyztelecom (KT) has given a progress update on its domestic and international fibre-optic connectivity project under the ‘Digital CASA’ banner in partnership with Kyrgyzstan’s Ministry of Digital Development and the World Bank. On 20 September 2023 KT reported that a ‘first stage’ of fibre rollout under the project has been completed, with 644km of fibre deployed in five regions and 374 sites in 60 settlements connected to high speed internet (including schools, hospitals and other state institutions), with work on the second stage already underway.
By the end of 2024 it is planned to connect 1,424 state/social facilities in 213 settlements to fibre internet via Digital CASA – which kicked off in earnest in April 2023 – and KT’s latest announcement said that the project will eventually connect ‘over 4,000 points’ in total. As part of the programme, 30 DWDM backbone nodes wil be installed – the equipment for which arrived in Kyrgyzstan on 8 September, KT disclosed. Total project costs amount to USD23.95 million.