Kazakhstan’s digital pivot: Internet spending soars, mobile calls decline

In 2024, Kazakhstan saw a sharp rise in internet service spending, with a nearly 25.7% increase, even as spending on mobile services dropped, according to the Bureau of National Statistics (BNS).

Data from the BNS shows that the total value of communication services reached 1.4 trillion tenge (approximately $2.9 billion) last year, up 13.8% year-on-year (YoY). Internet-related spending, including mobile and landline services, rose by 25.7% to nearly $1.6 billion. In contrast, spending on mobile services fell 14% to $436 million.

When looking only at services used by individuals, excluding legal entities, spending on internet services hit around $1.16 billion, an increase of $323 million. Mobile communication services for the population dropped by $74 million to $258.6 million.

Wireless broadband made up the bulk of internet spending, accounting for 52.4% (about $838 million), while wired broadband comprised 32.4% (roughly $518 million).

Despite increased internet spending, wired internet traffic declined by 2.9% to 6.6 billion gigabytes (GB), while mobile data traffic rose 16.2% to 5.9 billion GB. Roaming data usage grew sharply to 2.3 million GB, up 44% YoY.

5G network coverage also expanded slightly, rising from 38.2% to 45.8% of the population.

Overall, Kazakhstanis spent 22.5 billion minutes on in-network mobile calls and 8.1 billion minutes calling other operators in 2024. The number of fixed-line internet subscribers rose 8.3% to 3.1 million, while mobile subscribers grew 4.2% to 26.6 million.

Earlier reporting by Kursiv.media highlighted growing public frustration over rising mobile service costs, with some operators reportedly doubling their rates.