Freedom Telecom to create national data-sharing infrastructure

The construction of a massive data sharing system may cost roughly $37.5 million / Collage by Kursiv.media, photo editor: Aruzhan Makhsotova

Freedom Telecom will create a national data-sharing system to connect the western and eastern parts of the country. CEO of the company Kairat Akhmetov made this statement during the cabinet’s meeting.

«Let me bring to your attention the New Route project, a unique telecommunication corridor connecting China, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Turkey and Europe. The new data route is not just another alternative; it is the foundation for a modern telecommunication infrastructure for swift and reliable data transfer,» Akhmetov said.

Within the project’s framework, the company will implement two key initiatives.

First, Freedom wants to build a huge data transfer system as an alternative segment of the global data traffic network between Western Europe and Southeast Asia. The $37.5 million project is expected to be completed in December 2025.

Second, the company will launch two data processing centers (Tier-III or higher) to support data transit and international traffic. One of the data centers will be located in G4 City near Konayev, while the other will emerge in Aktau. According to the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry, this project costs $198.8 million and will be completed by December 2027.

Another data transfer project is being implemented by Kazakhtelecom and Azertelecom (from Azerbaijan) as the two operators want to lay a 370-kilometer fiber optic cable on the bottom of the Caspian Sea and are ready to pour about $50.8 million into the project.

The submarine optic fiber transmission system is going to connect the Kazakhstani town of Aktau and Sumgait in Azerbaijan. The system’s capacity is 400 terabits per second maximum, CEO of Kazakhtelecom Bagdat Musin said.

So far, the two operators have already established a joint venture and are completing the bidding for a contractor for designing and laying the submarine cable.

It is worth noting that the operators are implementing all three projects on their own with no financial support from the government. At the same time, these projects serve the ultimate goal of transforming Kazakhstani into a regional digital hub and promoting the Digital Silk Road initiative.

Zhaslan Madiyev, the new digital minister of Kazakhstan, believes that once these projects are implemented, an alternative route for global data transit will emerge, attracting BigTech (Google, Amazon and Microsoft).