Kazakhstan’s state-backed Kazakhtelecom – the parent of cellcos Kcell and Mobile Telecom Service (Tele2-Altel) – has given an on the group’s 5G mobile rollout, noting that 5G network sections have gone live in 15 cities, with a total of more than 1,000 live 5G base transceiver stations (BTS), including over 600 deployed by Tele2-Altel and 400 by Kcell. The 15 cities include Astana, Almaty, Shymkent, Turkestan, Kostanay, Karaganda, Kyzylorda, Aktau, Atyrau, Aktobe, Uralsk, Pavlodar, Kokshetau, Taraz and Semey.

Kcell issued a separate press release noting that in Shymkent, Kazakstan’s third largest city, it has already built 114 5G BTS and aims to deploy a total of 190 5G BTS in the city by the year’s end, whilst upgrading 170 BTS there. Kcell added that it is constructing 5G BTS both in densely populated parts of cities and in areas ‘far from city centres.’ Kcell also disclosed that in addition to mobile coverage, for the past two months the company has been implementing the ‘Kcell Auleti’ project, which involves ‘installation of 5G routers in homes and business centres across the country, including Shymkent, and providing hassle-free connectivity without pulling wires or drilling holes in walls.’

The group’s latest statements reiterated that following December 2022’s auction of 5G 3500MHz spectrum won jointly by Kcell and Tele2-Altel, the twin cellcos’ licensing conditions initially stipulated deployment of over 7,000 5G BTS throughout the country by end-2027, before Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced accelerated targets in October 2023, now calling on operators to meet the 7,000 BTS goal by the end of 2025.