Fiber Optics: Is Kazakhstan's Internet Independent?

Last month, Kazakhstan experienced massive disruptions in popular messengers such as Telegram and WhatsApp. Experts believe these problems are related to the country's dependence on Russian Internet traffic. Analysts, comparing the situation with recent disruptions in Russia, fear that Kazakhstan may be at risk of being completely disconnected from the global network if diplomatic relations with its northern neighbor worsen. An Orda.kz correspondent has looked into the matter.

Commenting for Taspanews, human rights experts stated that Russia, in essence, controls our Internet. They spoke of a hypothetical situation in which our northern neighbor cut off all of Kazakhstan's Internet. 

Yelzhan Kabyshev, an expert at the law firm Digital Rights Center Qazaqstan and human rights activist of the Internet Freedom initiative in Kazakhstan, believes that if Russia so desires or if relations with Kazakhstan worsen, Moscow could restrict access to the Internet not only for Kazakhstan but for all of Central Asia.

Experts caution that such a move could be veiled as an "emergency" or indefinite "repair work."

Kabyshev noted that there has been no such intentional disconnection, so the potential repercussions are unknown. However, the severity is not in question: a breakdown in communication or stock market disruption are possible risks. 

Can The Internet Really Be Cut off?

The president of the Internet Association of Kazakhstan, Shavkat Sabirov, explained that it is incorrect to talk about Kazakhstan's dependence on Russia regarding access to the Internet. This is a common global practice —all countries receive the Internet through the infrastructure of other countries. Some countries are just as dependent on Kazakhstan as well.

Sabirov emphasized that the global Internet infrastructure was created intelligently and competently, and it cannot be from such a simple flip of the switch or something more aggressive.

If we chop everything up with an axe, then, of course, it will affect everyone. If we "hack with an axe" at the main communication channels in Kazakhstan, then it will also affect Uzbekistan and many other countries. But I don't remember any situations where one country sabotaged another at the level of Internet connections. In this matter, Kazakhstan, as a transit country, plays an influential global role between Asia and Europe.

According to Sabirov, Kazakhstan does indeed purchase Internet traffic from Russia and other countries. However, this does not translate as political dependence, as Kazakhstan can choose traffic suppliers based on commercial conditions. He emphasizes that Russia is only one of many partners, and Kazakhstan is actively expanding additional routes to ensure Internet reliability and alternatives.

Kazakhstan buys traffic where it is more profitable. If Russia offers cheap traffic, we buy from Russia, but this does not make us dependent. We have direct channels to Europe, China, Southeast Asia, and if one channel fails, we simply use others, he noted.

Sabirov noted that the Internet is structured so that if any Internet supply route "shuts down," it does not extend to others. The Internet is not a linear sequential structure but a complex system that uses many paths to transmit data. However, Sabirov emphasized that no one will ever abandon the Russian transit infrastructure, nor will other countries do the same to Kazakhstan as a transit country.

Even in a terrible nightmare, Russia would not cut the cables. It would be like 'freezing your ears off to spite your grandmother' - no one benefits from it. We have many routes that transit through Russia. I will reveal a dark secret: many other countries in Asia and Europe use transit through Russia and Kazakhstan, he added. 

January Events

Sabirov also discussed January 2022, when Kazakhstan cut off the domestic internet in response to the internal unrest. He emphasized that this event showed that even if the internet was disabled in one country, other countries in the region were unaffected and even benefited.

When Kazakhstan shut down the Internet in January 2022, neighboring countries such as Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan were unaffected. Also, they even felt an improvement. But for some reason, human rights activists do not talk about this when they scare us with Russia. Although, according to their logic, the Internet should have disappeared in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and in Asian countries.

Sabirov believes this shows that Kazakhstan's and neighboring countries' infrastructure is resilient, and even a temporary shutdown does not lead to serious Internet issues. In September-October 2023, Kazakhstan repelled several million cyber attacks on its infrastructure, yet transit channels remained operational.

How The Internet Works

Sabirov explained how Internet stability is ensured even during technical failures. According to him, the Internet is a packet data transmission system where information is divided into many small network packets. Each of these is transmitted independently. Damage to one does not impact the transmission.

The Internet is not a system where disconnecting one cable will lead to a complete collapse. Even if something happens to one channel, we have hundreds of others that ensure the operation of the Internet. The Internet infrastructure is not a house or residential complex that is connected to only one provider cable. Even an ordinary data center in Kazakhstan today has several infrastructure data transmission channels, said the speaker.

He cited a situation where an underwater cable in the ocean was accidentally damaged, and several countries immediately experienced a deterioration in communications. Communication did not cease, only slightly worsened. Thanks to Kazakhstan's developed infrastructure, such incidents will not seriously impact the operation of the Network within the country:

When there is a failure on one of the cables, other backup channels quickly take over the load. In Kazakhstan, our infrastructure is so developed that if there is a failure with one of the cables, users will not even notice the changes,Sabirov believes. 

Digital Bridge Between Europe and Asia

According to Sabirov, Kazakhstan is crucial in ensuring Internet traffic transit between Asia and Europe. The country has many transit channels passing through its territory and actively participates in maintaining communication between the regions. Sabirov explained that interference in the operation of these channels could lead to severe disruptions in many countries, including Europe and China.

There are thousands of transit channels connecting Asia and Europe passing through Kazakhstan. If someone interferes with the operation of these channels, it could affect the entire global infrastructure, including Europe and China. We cannot simply turn off or damage these channels, because this would disrupt the stability of the Internet in entire regions. According to Kazakhtelecom, in 2023, Kazakhstan provided more than 2 Tbit/s of transit volume between China and Europe, 3.5 Tbit/s between Central Asia and Europe, and 4.4 Tbit/s between Kazakhstan and Europe, that is, more than 10 Tbit/s in total. A vast volume of traffic passes through Kazakhstan, which can be compared with all the traffic from Southeast Asia to Europe via submarine cables through the Persian Gulf, he said.

Sabirov also emphasized that Kazakhstan provides transit and profits from it, much like it does with air transport transit.

Kazakhstan uses its strategic position to support and develop transit infrastructure, and this brings us good income. The digital world brings good income for many countries. For example, Montenegro brings income to GDP from the sale of .me domains, which significantly develops the economy of the entire country. Kazakhstan is also working in this direction,added the speaker. 

Kazakhstan also provides its fiber-optic network to Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. However, the speaker emphasized that he does not know how the fiber-optic connection to the Turkmen border is currently being used, given Turkmenistan's specific treatment of the Internet.

Complete Internet Independence?

A critical project that Kazakhstan is currently working on is the creation of alternative routes for the transmission of Internet traffic. One such project is the Caspian Digital Hub, which will connect Kazakhstan with Europe via Azerbaijan and the Caspian Sea. This project will complement traditional routes through Russia and provide faster and shorter communication channels (Kazakhstan-Azerbaijan-Italy).

We are developing alternative routes, such as the Caspian Digital Hub, which will give us a direct connection to Europe via Azerbaijan. This is not directed against Russia or any other country, it is simply improving our infrastructure and making the Internet more reliable. This is far from being insurance for a rainy day, it is an improvement in the country's transit potential and the quality of data transmission for users,  he noted.

According to Sabirov, developing such projects will improve the quality of Internet connections in Kazakhstan. It will also enable the country to play an even more critical role in the global digital infrastructure.

Alternative routes allow us to develop infrastructure for the population and transit. Access through Iran to the Persian Gulf will give Kazakhstan the shortest path to the global network. We simply must use our geographic location to become an even more vital node in the worldwide network and earn money from it, added the speaker.

Kazakhstan's infrastructure is completely independent from other countries and is actively developing. At the same time, it is part of the global network, the most important factor in the global transit of data transmission.

The transit component in Kazakhstan is the basis for thousands of projects that ensure the development of the country. Can you imagine the Western Europe - Western China road being closed? Or that our country's oil and gas pipelines ceasing operations? The same applies to digital infrastructure. This is impossible. Therefore, there is no point in wasting time discussing absurd ideas. Let's discuss and talk about prospects and the search for new modern development directions. Kazakhstan needs to provide all schools with Internet access, for example. Elon Musk's Starlink project in the country plus the Amazon Kuiper project will be a great support for our remote regions at an affordable price from two providers.

Original Author: Artem Volkov

DISCLAIMER: This is a translated piece. The text has been modified, the content is the same. For accuracy, please refer to the original piece in Russian published on 09/09/24.