The communications industry in Kazakhstan is represented today by 3 areas: telecommunications Internet and postal services.

Telecommunications

Currently, there are 2.5 million fixed-line subscribers registered in Kazakhstan, that is, these are the people who use a fixed-line telephone. At the same time, every year the share of fixed communications in the total volume of the telecommunications market is decreasing, giving way to mobile communications. With regard to mobile communications, the number of registered subscribers exceeded 25.8 million.

The industry received a significant impetus in the development of mobile communications in 2011, when 3G communications were introduced in the country. In 2014, telecom operators began to provide communication services in the 4G / LTE standard. During 2019, a pilot project is being implemented in Kazakhstan to test 5G communication networks in the cities of Nur-Sultan, Almaty and Shymkent. The first test results were positive, and the experts announced the readiness to introduce 5G technology in Kazakhstan.

There are currently about 20 telecom operators in the telecommunications market, providing long-distance and international telephone services, Internet access, satellite mobile communications, as well as 3 mobile operators.

Internet

Providing the population with ubiquitous access to the Internet is one of the main tasks for the development of the communications industry, as well as the state program "Digital Kazakhstan". To meet the needs of Kazakhstanis in high-quality Internet, wireless and wired technologies are currently used, such as ADSL, FTTН, 3G, 4G / LTE, CDMA / EVDO, etc. Today the number of subscribers with access to high-speed broadband Internet through computers is 2.5 million people.

But it should be noted that the main consumption of the Internet occurs through mobile networks. As of December 1, 2019, the number of mobile broadband Internet subscribers was 14.9 million.

To further provide rural settlements with high-speed Internet, two large projects are currently being implemented in the country. As a result of their implementation, all rural settlements with a population of 250 people and more will receive broadband Internet access. In villages with a population of less than 250 people, the possibility of broadband Internet access with a connection speed of at least 2 Mbit / s is planned to be provided using alternative technologies such as satellite communications, radio relay communications, 3G / UMTS, radio bridges until the end of 2022.

Postal communication

Postal communication is one of the physical channels for providing access to information and financial services to the population of rural areas. There are 3448 post offices on the territory of the republic.

In 2018, the Ministry carried out work on the adoption of regulatory legal acts regulating the maximum price level for subsidized universal communication services provided in rural areas.