This development was relayed by the Minister of Digital Development, Innovations, and Aerospace Industry of Kazakhstan, Bagdat Musin.
The Ministry of Digital Development, Innovations, and Aerospace Industry of Kazakhstan is collaborating with parliamentary deputies to draft a law that would compel business owners to autonomously install internet equipment in shopping centers, as reported by Sarbaz.kz. This announcement was made by Minister of Digital Development, Bagdat Musin, on his Facebook page.
He underscored that many commercial and business centers grapple with internet connectivity issues. The signals from base stations struggle to penetrate through the reinforced structures of buildings, especially tall ones.
"We are working with deputies to require owners of business centers and commercial spaces (exceeding 1,000 square meters) to install indoor equipment that will ensure connectivity for clients," wrote Bagdat Musin.
Musin provided an example from developed nations, where business owners address this issue by independently installing cellular towers.
"In developed countries, business owners of such establishments address this issue themselves because they understand their social responsibility and value ensuring their clients are always connected – to keep their clientele within the digital sphere."
Earlier, Bagdat Musin also shared on social media two factors that hinder the market. These are low-income levels and monopolization. The Competition Protection and Development Agency believes that communication disruptions and unjustifiably high prices have arisen due to a lack of competition. Within Kazakhstan's cellular communication market, only two companies operate – AO Kazakhtelecom and TOO Kar-Tel.
Based on this, AZRK proposes introducing state-regulated tariffs until full market de-monopolising is achieved. The agency seeks to implement government price regulation until the point of complete market de-monopolising. Demonopolization entails extracting subsidiary mobile operators from AO Kazakhtelecom and introducing them into a competitive environment.
