Kazakhstan allocates $5 million acquire Starlink for schools in rural areas
According to the Ministry of Digital Development, Kazakhstan will allocate $5 million to provide 2,000 schools in rural areas with access to satellite internet from Starlink. The government will pay $2,500 for each terminal from Elon Musk’s company, with a monthly access fee of $305.
«The company offers different solutions. We have decided to buy an enterprise solution that will cost us $2,500 per school with a $305 subscription. These devices have no expiration date and the company is ready to offer technical maintenance. All this equipment is under warranty and will be replaced if any technical errors or problems arise,» said Yerzhan Meyramov, chair of the Telecommunications Committee of the Digital Ministry.
As Digital Minister Zhaslan Madiyev explained, each school will receive one terminal, which will function as a Wi-Fi hotspot for teachers and students.
«About 2,000 schools are expected to obtain Starlink terminals by the end of this year. We also want the company to integrate its technology with our existing infrastructure. This would allow us to use Starlink for the needs of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, for example. We are already negotiating with Starlink on this,» the minister added.
The context: In late April, the media reported that 502 rural schools throughout Kazakhstan received access to the internet with the help of Starlink. This technology ensures an average internet connection speed of 200 megabits per second.
Additionally, the Digital Ministry sent 138 Starlink terminals to the Akmola region, 53 to the Jambyl region and 55 to the Zhetysu region. These devices are expected to be connected shortly, the agency reported.
Kazakhstan obtained the first 500 Starlink devices for schools in the Turkestan and Akmola regions in February 2024. In the Almaty region, ten schools have been connected to the Starlink system as part of a pilot project.
Although no details of a contract with SpaceX were released at the time, some media outlets reported the access fee might cost $200 per terminal.
