Authorities allocate millions of dollars to improve internet connection in Astana

The Astana Office of the Mayor has discovered the areas in the city with the poorest internet connection. The authorities have been receiving a lot of criticism regarding internet connection quality. The vast majority of these complaints came from suburbs. In sixteen of them, there is no fast internet connection at all. To solve the problem, the capital city authorities have attracted $3.3 million in investments.

Moreover, the city administration has also gained support from the Ministry of Digital Development and local mobile operators.

«We have been working on providing all residents of our city with high-speed internet. We have given special attention to those 16 uptown areas with no cable infrastructure, which is just another obstacle for us. Last year, the Astana city mayor’s office decided to build a fiber-optic communication line along existing power grid lines,» the press service said in a statement.

To avoid extra costs, the authorities decided to rely on GPON technology (internet, TV and IP telephony in the same cable). This technology guarantees high-speed connection and a carrying capacity of one gigabit per second. The cable will be installed on the existing utility poles.

In January 2023, Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov criticized Digital Minister Bagdat Musin for poor internet connection in many of the city’s districts. However, in March, in response to the question of when people in Kazakhstan can enjoy fast internet, the minister said that the quality of the internet is quite good and consumers have gotten what they paid for.