Chinese IT companies enter Central Asia with hardware, not with a cloud account. The reason is straightforward: a product serving local users, payments or identity must keep personal data inside the country, and such a product carries a stable, predictable load — exactly the profile where owned CPU servers beat rented capacity.
Below is the sequence a team goes through, and the places where time is usually lost.
1. The legal contour comes before site selection
Personal data of Kazakhstan citizens is processed and stored inside the country. This is not satisfied by “a server in a nearby cloud region”: it requires hardware with a specific physical address inside the jurisdiction, a defined access perimeter, and the ability to show who approached the rack and when.
Colocation closes that contour directly: the servers remain your property, while the facility provides engineering and an auditable access path.
2. Connectivity: overland routes matter more than marketing figures
Kazakhstan borders China by land and sits on the East–West digital corridor, which means overland rather than detour routes. But a site’s connectivity is determined by the building, not by the country’s geography:
- how many physically independent optical entries reach the building;
- how many carriers are present on site, and whether they compete;
- cross-connect lead times and pricing;
- routes to your regional users and back to head-office systems in China.
3. Equipment import
This is the step that most often breaks timelines. Check the import regime, equipment certification requirements and customs clearance times in advance. A ready data hall means nothing if the hardware is sitting in a bonded warehouse.
It helps to synchronise three schedules: vendor delivery, customs, and hall readiness. A one- or two-month gap between them is normal when planned for, and a problem when it is not.
4. Operations without your own team on site
Keeping engineers in Astana from day one is usually unnecessary. Verify with the operator:
- the remote hands procedure: round-the-clock availability, how requests are raised, response times;
- access procedures for your staff and contractors;
- visit logging and video surveillance;
- support languages — for Chinese teams a practical question, not a formality.
5. Horizon and capacity reservation
The corporate cycle from decision to production is 12–18 months. Free racks of the right class move into long-term contracts faster than hardware arrives. So the question is not “what is available now” but “what can be locked for our profile”: kW per rack, cooling scheme, hall readiness dates, expansion terms.
How this looks at Akashi
Akashi Data Center is being built in Astana as Central Asia’s first commercial Tier IV facility: 4,224 racks, 100 MW of IT capacity, designed availability of 99.995%, densities up to 20 kW per rack.
Three things matter for Chinese teams. First, four independent optical entries onto the East–West corridor. Second, a signed memorandum of understanding with China Mobile on regional presence — a partner from China already works with the site. Third, joint work with TSARKA on a cybersecurity standard for the region’s data centers, meaning security requirements are formulated at the facility rather than bolted on afterwards.
The first phase launches in 2027, with the TCCF audit in April 2027. Pre-launch commitments for the first phase already exceed its capacity, so placement is discussed as a reservation.
Frequently asked questions
Why Kazakhstan specifically? A land border with China and a position on the East–West corridor give short overland routes, while data-localization rules require hardware inside the country when serving local users.
Could a cloud be used instead? Cloud covers pilots and fast starts. Owned CPU servers win on stable loads, configuration and key control, and jurisdiction requirements.
What about connectivity toward China? Look at independent optical entries, carrier presence on site, and overland eastward routes. Akashi has four independent entries and an MoU with China Mobile.
How long does deployment take? 12–18 months including compliance, delivery, customs, network design and acceptance — which is why capacity is reserved in advance.
Who is responsible for the equipment? It remains the client’s property; the facility covers engineering and security, with 24/7 remote hands performing on-site operations and logging access.
Planning to place a CPU fleet in Kazakhstan? Contact sales — we will discuss power, connectivity routes and reservation timing.