Kazakhstan launches high-speed internet project for rural communities
The Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development has announced the launch of the Kazakhstan Digital Acceleration for an Inclusive Economy project and an open call for shared grants for telecom operators, Qazinform News Agency reports.
The competition is being conducted as part of the project’s implementation and aims to expand telecommunications infrastructure in rural areas while ensuring that residents gain access to internet speeds of at least 100 Mbps.
The project provides for the construction of fiber-optic communication lines in 1,123 rural settlements that currently lack local internet access infrastructure.
Once implemented, the project will enable more than 445,000 households to be connected and provide high-speed internet access to approximately 2.3 million people.
As part of the initiative, telecom operators may receive non-repayable co-financing grants covering up to 50% of verified capital expenditures for the construction of rural telecommunications networks. The projects will be financed with the operators’ own funds, and the completed infrastructure will remain under their ownership and on their balance sheets.
Participants will be selected through an open competition process in line with the principles of equal access, transparency, and accountability.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Kazakhstan connected 504 rural settlements to satellite internet.