Growth History of Kazakhtelecom JSC Group of Companies

1994Foundation of Kazakhtelecom JSC.
1995Construction of the National Sector of the International Trans-Asian-European Fiber Optic Line (TAE FOCL), 52 km from Almaty.
1996Launch of TLX.25 Turbo telex station in Almaty.
1997Listing of the Company on the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange.
1998Launch of a satellite communications system to provide telephone services in remote population centres.
1999
- Creation of a unified National Data Transmission Network with the Kazakhstan Online trademark.
- Operation of the first International Switching Centre (ISC) in Almaty.
2000Introduction of Internet access services using DialUp technology – “Internet Zone”.
2001Opening of the first Internet Data Centre (IDC) for 10,000 users in Central Asia.
2002
- Launch of the National Intellectual Network.
- Commissioning of the Russia–Kazakhstan fiber-optic linear transition.
2003
- Kazakhtelecom JSC receives the International Gold Medical Award for Management Quality and Effectiveness.
- Completion of digitalisation of Kazakhstan’s capital.
2004Re-registration of the Company from an open joint stock company (OJSC) to a joint stock company (JSC).
2005Launch of Megaline broadband Internet access services based on ADSL technology.
2006Separation of ICT into a separate line of business (Directorate of Information Systems).
2007Kazaktelecom JSC ensured 100% distribution of fixed-line services in Kazakhstan.
2008Implementation of the project on introducing the Quality Management System and commissioning of the Balanced Indicators Information System.
2009Launch of IPTV services under the iD TV brand.
2010
- Opening of the Directorate of the Academy of Information and Communication Technologies.
- Completion of the project on Transition of telecommunications networks of Kazakhtelecom JSC to Next Generation Network (NGN) technologies.
2011Launch of a strategic project on the construction of a universal fiber-optic access network FTTH.
2012
- Sale of 49% of Kcell JSC shares to TeliaSonera.
- Presentation of the largest Data Processing Centre (DPC) in the CIS developed in cooperation with Hewlett-Packard.
2013Recognition of the Company as a leader in the corporate governance rating among the Fund’s subsidiaries based on the results of an independent diagnostics of corporate governance conducted at five subsidiaries of Samruk-Kazyna JSC.
2014
- Launch of LTE network (based on ALTEL subsidiary).
- Launch of the next generation of DWDM backbone network.
2015Kazakhtelecom JSC made 100% digitalisation of fixed voice networks.
2016
- Creation of ALTEL/Tele2 joint venture in the mobile communications market.
- Implementation of the Dream project to organise the Europe- Southeast Asia transit route in cooperation with China Mobile.
2017
- Creation of an Integrated Network Management Centre.
- Upgrading Kazakhtelecom JSC’s credit rating to BB+ (Stable) from BB (Positive) by the international rating agency Standard & Poor’s.
2018
- Acquisition of 75% of shares in Kcell JSC.
- Construction of FOCL RS.
2019
- Implementation of the Smart Aqkol project.
- 5G testing in Astana and Almaty.
- Acquisition of 49% share of Tele2 AB in the joint venture.
- The winner in the Deal of the Year category at the Annual International TMT M&A Awards 2019.
2020
- Completion of the FOCL RS (rural settlement) construction. Over two years of the project, 14,380 kilometers of fiber-optic networks have been built across the country.
- Implementation of the 250+ project to provide rural settlements with population of 250 people with broadband mobile Internet.
- Designation of Kazakhtelecom JSC as the single operator of the system of mandatory labelling of tobacco products, responsible for the technical component, data storage and synchronisation of information systems of market participants.
- Launch of the new SERPIN Strategy and Transformation Programme including digitalisation of the core business, development of new digital businesses and digital network transformation.
- Completion of construction of another 104 base stations using LoRa technology. M2M (machine to machine) and IoT-device can be connected in city municipal systems in the Jambyl and West Kazakhstan regions, in Turkistan and Almaty either. In general, expansion of the network to 14 cities in the country.
- Raising Kazakhtelecom JSC’s credit rating to BBB- (Stable) from BB+ (Positive) by Fitch Ratings.
2021
- Launch of the Mobile Office service in Kazakhstan, based on Kcell networks, allowing a business or its branch office to work anywhere in the country and have access to its own information network without changing access parameters, and employees to be mobile.
- Launch of the new generation service – eSIM. Kazakhtelecom subscribers now have access to a new service eSIM – a digital alternative to plastic SIM cards.
- In April 2021, Kazakhstan became the leader in the EEU and Central Asian countries in the global ranking of mobile Internet speed according to Ookla Speedtest Global Index.
- Bringing domestic cybersport to the TV+ platform. At the end of May, the first online broadcasts of domestic cyber sports tournaments held on the TV+ platform launched by Kazakhtelecom JSC this year.
- Transition to the active phase of implementation of the Smart Turkistan project, beginning to equip the city’s utilities and municipal facilities with devices for remote transmission of data on water consumption with connection to the IoT network built by the largest telecom operator.
- Creation of a network of eQoldau open access points in rural settlements of the country, thanks to which residents will have another tool to access the world of digital services and e-services.
- Launch of the FWA network in Astana.
2022
- Launch of a new project Digital Partner in Rural Areas. The project will provide the rural population with high-speed and high-quality Internet, and will enable entrepreneurs to develop their business.
- Presentation of the concept of introducing 5G technology in Kazakhstan, which will enable the digital transformation of the country’s economy and open up the possibility of creating new digital services in Kazakhstan in the near future.
- Signing of a memorandum on strategic partnership on the Trans-Caspian project between Kazakhtelecom and AzerTelecom. The document provides for strategic partnership of the two operators within the framework of the Trans-Caspian Fibre Optic Communication Line (FOCL) project along the Kazakhstan-Azerbaijan route being a part of the large-scale Digital Silk Way project that envisages the creation of a digital new telecommunications corridor between Europe and Asia through Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan.
2023
- Leading telecom operators of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan Kazakhtelecom JSC and AzerTelecom within the framework of the visit of the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Alikhan Smailov to Baku signed the Shareholders’ Agreement on establishment of a joint venture for construction and operation of the Trans-Caspian fibre-optic communication line (FOCL) along the Caspian Seabed.
- Kazakhtelecom actively continues implementation of the project on upgrading its network infrastructure “Tazartu”. Only this year, Kazakhtelecom switched almost 55,000 subscribers throughout the country to fibre-optic communication lines. Thus, the Company recently completed large-scale migration of customers from ADSL to GPON of Stepnogorsk residents and this city became the second “optical” city in the country after Kurchatov.