Network and infrastructure development
In 2023, as part of the implementation of investment projects on technical development and support of telecommunications networks, the Company continued working on the following main areas:
- backbone transport network;
- backbone data transmission network;
- access network.
As a result, we achieved the following indicators:
Data transmission network
To implement licence obligations of Kazakhtelecom JSC on covering the cities of Almaty, Astana, Shymkent with 5G network in 2023, we installed 30 PAGG core nodes (Almaty – 15, Astana – 7, Shymkent – 8), 486 provided 10 Gb/s ports for connection of access equipment of 5G base stations (Kcell – 189 BS, MTS – 297 BS), provided 89 100 Gb/s ports for inclusion in the core.
The number of communication channels on the core of the MDN network for 2023 are: 64 x 100G and 230 x 10G.
Equipment was put into operation under the project on MDN Expansion (Kostanai, Semey, Petropavlovsk, Taraz, Aktau, Taldykorgan) for the transition from 10GE to 100GE interfaces, taking into account the requirements of the SOIM authorised body.
Transport network
Within the framework of the project on expansion of transit capacity at junctions with international operators, we organised backbone communication channels for transit through Kazakhtelecom JSC’s network to international operators in the directions Russia–Uzbekistan with capacity of 400 Gb/s, Russia–Kyrgyzstan with capacity of 300 Gb/s.
International joints at the border crossings Abai–Pakhta with Uzbektelecom for 2x100Gbit/s, Uralsk–Ozinki with MMTS for 3x100Gbit/s and Kvant–Telecom for 1x100Gbit/s were expanded.
DWDM hiT7300 and G30 backbone network was expanded to 4x100 Gbit/s on the following sections: Aktobe–Aktau; Aktobe–Uralsk.
Under the projects on Network modernisation to improve the quality of Internet services, on Broadband network development, Kazakhtelecom organised 69×100 Gb/s channels on the DWDM backbone transport network to connect to the central equipment nodes of the data transmission network service boundaries in the following cities: Taldykorgan, Petropavlovsk, Kostanai, Taraz, Pavlodar, Semey, Aktau, Kyzylorda, Uralsk. We organised a reserve optical direction on the Almaty–Zharkent section based on DWDM hiT7300 equipment (Malovodnoe, Chilik, Chunja, Zharkent).
Kazakhtelecom reconfigured network elements for I/O organisation and modernisation of the existing Almaty communication hub based on DWDM hiT7300 and G30 equipment (Konaev, Turkestan, Zhezkazgan, Almaty).
We expanded zonal transport network for construction of GPON network in Shchuchinsko-Borovsky resort zone of Burabay district of Akmola region 2×10 Gbit/second.
Access network
To modernise outdated equipment of optical access networks (ECI, Ericsson) GPON equipment was put into operation in the cities of Kostanai, Shymkent, Karaganda, Zhezkazgan, Temirtau, Almaty.
GPON network was expanded by 824 PON ports in the cities of Karaganda, Temirtau, Botakara, Ereimentau, Semey, Turkestan, Taldykorgan and Almaty region.
Work continued to switch telecoms consumers from copper to optical networks. During the implementation of the Tazartu project, more than 57 thousand subscribers were switched in 2023 with the plan of 53 thousand. Also in the course of network modernisation, 13 thousand analogue TV subscribers were switched to modern digital iD TV and TV service.
In December 2022, a consortium of operators represented by MT-S LLP and Kcell JSC won the auction of frequencies for 5G network deployment. The companies are to install more than 7,000 5G base stations across the country by 2027. The base stations will first appear in Astana, Almaty and Shymkent.
Kazakhtelecom experts estimate that by the end of 2027, 80% of Kazakh citizens will be able to access the 5G network.
The Company has developed a plan to build more than 7 thousand base stations of the fifth generation standard, which envisages deployment of more than 2.7 thousand stations in the country in 2024 and about 3.2 thousand in 2025. At present, the Company is the first and so far the only one in the CIS to put 5G technology into commercial operation: about one thousand 5G base stations have already been deployed and connected to the network in all regional centres.
The 5G network deployment will have a significant impact on Kazakhstan’s economy and the life quality of its citizens through the emergence of unique digital opportunities, the development of innovations and technologies, and the acceleration of transformation processes in all spheres.
More information about this project’s implementation will be provided in our next reports.
Key objectives for 2024
Transport network:
- organisation of transit channels in the direction Russia–China with the capacity of 12*100 Gbit/s with 1+13 redundancy;
- expansion of DWDM equipment to organise channels on the backbone network in accordance with the projects on MDN expansion;
- organisation of 100G channel (1+1) in the direction Turkestan–Shymkent.
Data transmission network:
- expansion of IMDN channels:
- 41 400G ports on Astana, Aktobe, Almaty sections;
- 66 100G ports in Aktobe, Aktau, Kostanai, Petropavlovsk, Uralsk, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Almaty;
- organisation of channels under the 5G project.
Access network:
- replacement of outdated G-PON OLT equipment in the following cities: Almaty, Shymkent, Karaganda, Kostanai;
- continuation of work on leaving copper networks and switch about 63,000 consumers in the regions;
- construction of FOCL to 21 rural settlements.