Kazakhstan aims to sign an agreement with Amazon to introduce its Kuiper satellite internet service in the country. This announcement was made by Zhaslan Madiev, the Minister of Digital Development, at the Asia-Pacific Conference on Digital Inclusion and Transformation in Astana, organized by UNESCAP. The official indicated that the deal, similar to SpaceX’s Starlink, will be finalized after the conference.

The introduction of Amazon Kuiper is expected to enhance competition within Kazakhstan’s satellite internet sector, potentially leading to improved service quality and competitive pricing. The country has already secured agreements with SpaceX’s Starlink and Eutelsat’s OneWeb. Starlink is projected to be available to Kazakhstani users by 2025, coinciding with the launch of OneWeb’s services.

In February 2024, Kazakhstan’s Majilis enacted a law governing the development of communications systems, including those using non-geostationary satellites, effective until 2026. Amazon’s Kuiper project, valued at approximately $10bn, received authorization in 2020. The company has launched two prototype satellites and plans to establish a network of over 3,200 satellites.

Construction of the network is now scheduled to commence at the end of 2024, with a test launch of internet services expected in early 2025.