UN Shows Interest in Kazakhstan’s Digital Infrastructure Experience

Kazakhstan’s progress in building a modern digital infrastructure has caught the attention of the United Nations. On May 30, Kazakhtelecom CEO Bagdat Musin met with UN Under-Secretary-General and Tech Envoy Amandeep Singh Gill at the Astana International Forum, Orda.kz reports. 

During the meeting, Gill expressed interest in Kazakhstan’s digital transformation journey. Musin shared details about key projects that have already been implemented, as well as those currently underway by the country’s largest telecom operator.

According to Kazakhtelecom, the company has installed over 50,000 surveillance cameras nationwide. These "smart cameras" help maintain public order and enhance school safety by automatically sending alerts to regional police in case of emergencies.

If in the past Kazakhtelecom was seen as just a traditional telecom operator and internet provider, today it has evolved into a full-fledged ecosystem offering advanced solutions for urban infrastructure, business, and the public sector. Building on its robust technological infrastructure and skilled workforce, the company is expanding into new and adjacent markets. This includes projects like the TV+ platform, product labeling, fiscal data operator, early forest fire detection, AI in healthcare, smart city technologies, and more. Very soon, in partnership with NVIDIA—the world’s leading graphics processor developer—we plan to launch the first commercial sovereign AI factory in Central Asia, which will form the foundation of Kazakhstan’s national AI infrastructure.Musin said. 

Gill also showed interest in Kazakhtelecom’s National Video Monitoring System (NVMS), aimed at improving emergency response and urban safety.

Another project that drew attention was the fiber-optic cable being laid under the Caspian Sea between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan, which will allow for direct internet traffic exchange between the two countries and open up additional routes to European IXPs (Internet Exchange Points).

As for other strategic and large-scale initiatives, Kazakhtelecom is currently rolling out a next-generation 5G network across the country. So far, around 1,700 5G base stations have been installed in 20 cities. This year, we also plan to bring high-quality telecom services to 120 villages using Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) technology and aim to install an additional 600 stations in rural areas by 2027. At the same time, under the ‘FOCL RS 2.0’ project, we plan to lay more than 38,000 kilometers of fiber-optic lines in villages and connect approximately 3,000 rural settlements to high-speed internet,said Bagdat Musin. 

To wrap up the meeting, in keeping with Kazakh tradition, Musin presented Gill with a national chapan – a traditional robe – as a symbol of hospitality.

Original Author: Maria Kravtsova