Competition Agency Probes Kazakhtelecom Pricing

The national communications operator is suspected of artificially inflating prices for wired Internet, Orda.kz reports.

According to the Agency for the Development and Protection of Competition (ADPC), in 2024, the operator raised rates for Internet speeds of up to 100, 200, and 500 Mbit/s by as much as 20%.

Specialists also noted that the company created barriers for alternative providers’ access to residential buildings, which ADPC considers a restriction on competition. Other operators have complained about difficulties connecting to cable ducts and sewer networks, saying they are forced to pay for technical conditions, even though such a fee is not stipulated by law.

ADPC says it has already pushed through changes to reduce these barriers. For example, the requirement to own communications infrastructure to participate in the distribution of radio frequencies has been abolished.

Amendments to the Law “On Communications” now allow virtual operators to officially operate and lease capacity from other companies.

The regulator also warned of possible risks of inflated pricing in the mobile communications market. At present, ADPC is considering whether to launch a separate investigation against one of the mobile operators.

Original Author: Ruslan Loginov