Telecommunications in Kazakhstan include radio, television, fixed and mobile telephones, and the internet.
The largest telecommunications company in Kazakhstan is Kazakhtelecom, which is responsible for infrastructure such as cables and exchanges, and provides internet, television and telephone connections to individuals and businesses. The state of Kazakhstan is a major shareholder in Kazakhtelecom.
Telephones
Telephone numbers
Main article: Telephone numbers in KazakhstanKazakhstan's international calling code is +7, it is used in combination with the zone codes 6xx and 7xx. It is the only former Soviet country except Russia not yet to have transitioned away from +7. In 2021, the number +997 was allocated by the ITU, but as of 2023 had not been implemented. In early 2023, the country applied instead for the number +77.
Telephone numbers, both fixed and mobile, are 10 digits long.
Fixed-line
Telephone density of fixed telephone subscriptions is decreasing, standing at 16 per 100 people in 2021, compared to its peak of 26 per 100 in 2012.
Mobile
As of 2021, there were estimated to be over 24 million cellular subscriptions; 127 per 100 inhabitants of Kazakhstan.
| Rank | Operator | Technology | Subscribers (in millions) |
Ownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Beeline (including izi) |
GSM-900 MHz (GPRS, EDGE) 900/2100 MHz UMTS, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA, HSPA+, DC-HSPA+ 800/1800/2100 MHz LTE, LTE-A n78 5G NR |
9.8 (October 2021) | VEON |
| 2 | Kcell (including activ) |
GSM-900 MHz (GPRS, EDGE) 900/2100 MHz UMTS, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA, HSPA+, DC-HSPA+ 800/1800/2100 MHz LTE, LTE-A |
7.957 (Sep 2021) | KazakhTelecom (51%), Jysan Bank (24%), free float (25%) |
| 3 | Tele2 Kazakhstan (including Altel, Fmobile) |
GSM-900 MHz (GPRS, EDGE) 900 MHz UMTS, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA, HSPA+, DC-HSPA+ 1800 MHz LTE, LTE-A n78 5G NR |
7.255 (Dec 2019) | KazakhTelecom |
Kazakhstan has 4G mobile internet and has begun work on 5G as of 2021.
Satellite
Kazakhstan's national DAMA satellite communication network was established in 1999 in order to provide communication services to sparsely populated areas with poor road access.
Broadcast transmission
- Radio broadcast stations: AM 60, FM 17, shortwave 9 (1998)
- Radios: 6.47 million (1997); 12 million (2009);
- Television broadcast stations: 12 (plus 9 repeaters) (1998); 149 (2009);
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Internet
Main article: Internet in Kazakhstan- Top level domain (country code): .kz
- Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 10 (with their own international channels) (2001); 22 (2009);
- Internet hosts: 33,217 (2007); 80,000 (2009);
- Internet users: 100,000 (2002); 400,000 (2005); 1,247,000 (2006); 3,130,000 (2008); 4,700,000 (2009); 15,160,000 (2019)
It is estimated that as of 2021, 91% of Kazakhstan residents have access to the internet.
In 2023, Kazakhstan will begin the construction on the joint Trans Caspian Fiber Optic (TCFO) project.
The government of Kazakhstan carries out surveillance of telecommunications and internet traffic in the country and, as of 2010, was found to filter content related to social and political issues, as well as preparing twice per year a list of websites to be blocked. ISPs are required to prohibit users from disseminating materials or information not in accordance with the country’s laws, including pornography. Since 2015 it is an imprisonable offense to spread unverified information online. Kazakhstan has also throttled or shut down the internet as a response to political dissent, such as during country-wide political unrest in January 2022.
Key developments
In December 2022, Kcell and Tele2-Altel, both major Kazakhstani mobile network operators (MNOs), launched limited 5G services in the country following their successful acquisition of 5G spectrum licenses. This marked the beginning of the 5G era in Kazakhstan.
The two companies have ambitious plans to expand their 5G network infrastructure, aiming to deploy at least 7,000 5G base stations and achieve 80% population coverage by the end of 2027.
See also
References
- ^ "Kazakhstan - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses". www.marketresearch.com. Retrieved 2021-04-27.
- "JSC "Kazakhtelecom"". telecom.kz. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
- "Kazakhstan May Change the Calling Code from +7 to +77 - Qazaqstan Monitor". qazmonitor.com. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
- ^ CIA World FactBook: Kazakhstan
- "Telecommunication in Kazakhstan". worlddata.info. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
- "VEON - Earnings Release 3Q21 results" (PDF). VEON. 28 October 2021. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
- "Kcell JSC Results for January-September 2021" (PDF). Kcell.kz. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
- "Kcell completes 24% share sale via bourse; Jysan Bank picks up stake". CommsUpdate. 2021-10-04. Retrieved 2021-10-29.
- "Tele2 и Altel объявили итоги за 2019 год". Profit.kz. 5 February 2020. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
- "Kazakhtelecom sets up satellite communication for remote regions". kase.kz. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
- "Chinese Internet traffic across the Caspian Sea will reach Azerbaijan". azernews.az. 25 April 2023. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
- "Kazakhstan - OpenNet Initiative". telecom.kz. Retrieved 2023-05-20.
- "How Kazakhstan protests over fuel devolved into Internet blackout and deaths". Fortune. Retrieved 2022-12-19.
- "How the crisis in Kazakhstan went from fuel protests to a 'shoot to kill' order by the president". Washington Post. 2022-01-06. Retrieved 2023-05-03.
- Lancaster, Henry (February 2024). "Kazakhstan Telecoms Market Report". BuddeComm. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
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