Regarding the emergence of another operator, Orazbek stated that Kazakhstan is not currently considering the possibility of a new mobile operator.
The Deputy Minister of Digital Development noted that there are already 3 companies operating in the market, and if they provide a competitive environment, there are no plans to attract another participant.
According to him, the possibility of a new operator has only been discussed in theory, but the regulator has not made any final decisions.
When discussing the theoretical internet blockage in Russia, he mentioned that
in addition to connections with Russia, Kazakhstan is linked to global communication methods through China and other countries. Essentially, this means that in the event of an internet blockage in Russia, access to the network for Kazakhstani citizens will remain intact.
Moreover, this year, "Kazakhtelecom" together with AzerTelecom launched a project for the construction of a trans-Caspian cable. The work is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year, with the route expected to launch in 2026. This project will significantly improve the quality and reliability of internet services in the country.
He was also asked to comment on the recent outages affecting social networks and the eGov platform.
He explained that these malfunctions occurred simultaneously, but their causes are different. The issues with Facebook and Instagram were due to technical problems on Meta's side.
Meanwhile, the disruptions in government online services were caused by failures in the national operator's NIT system.
According to Orazbek, there is no absolutely flawless infrastructure in any country. Even large global corporations face technical issues.