Kazakhstan has launched a project to provide rural settlements with high-speed internet: fiber-optic communication lines are planned for 1,123 villages to ensure speeds of at least 100 Mbps.

The state is launching a “last mile” infrastructure project: fiber-optic lines will be built in rural areas that currently have no local access network. Operators are to be selected through an open tender, and grant support can cover up to 50% of confirmed capital expenditures.

Key figures

• 1,123 settlements - the target of the fiber-optic construction project.
• Speeds from 100 Mbps - the stated minimum for residents.
• Potentially over 445 thousand households and about 2.3 million people will get access to high-speed internet.
• Operators are offered a grant model covering up to 50% of capital expenditures (based on confirmed costs), and the infrastructure remains on their balance sheet.

Stable internet in the regions is not “about speed on your phone”. It is about digital services ceasing to be an “urban luxury” and becoming the norm:

• online sales and delivery work more reliably,
• schools/courses get a proper online setup,
• healthcare and public services become more accessible,
• it becomes easier for businesses to scale beyond large cities.