Implementation of Kazakhstan’s digital hub directive is entering an active phase. Caspian and overland routes are creating pathways for data flows, while a new class of infrastructure objects — commercial Tier IV facilities — enables their processing domestically.

From digital catch-up to digital strategy

Digital development in Kazakhstan has transcended modernizing state services and expanding internet access. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s pre-election program set a strategic objective: creating a digital hub uniting data transit, cloud services, and computational capacity. This was formalized in 2023 within the Digital Transformation Concept, positioning Kazakhstan not merely as a connector between European and Asian markets, but as a territory capable of redistributing and processing international traffic.

Kazakhstan’s geographic positioning becomes an economic resource — particularly given the rapid AI technology growth creating global demand for computational capacity.

The infrastructure stack being built

The National “Affordable Internet” Project defines four key directions establishing the future hub’s infrastructure foundation:

  • A submarine fiber-optic line across the Caspian
  • The “West–East” optical superhighway
  • A modern data center network
  • Carrier-neutral exchange points capable of taking international traffic

Work on the trans-Caspian fiber-optic line has transitioned to practical stages. Marine surveys are complete and laboratory fiber testing is finished. The project targets 400 Tbps capacity, comparable to major worldwide initiatives, connecting Kazakhstan’s infrastructure with Azerbaijani networks and European markets — creating alternative digital exchange routes.

Where Akashi fits

Akashi Data Center’s launch in Astana is beginning to change the picture. Two parameters define the facility:

  • Power scale reaching 100 MW (4,200 racks)
  • Architecture designed by Tier IV standards

This reliability level is critically important for cloud platforms, high-load computing, and AI infrastructure. Such facilities are key conditions for international technology operators entering the market. China Mobile International and Fortinet have already expressed interest, and a steady pipeline of conversations with hyperscalers and regional cloud operators is now underway.

The corridor advantage

Kazakhstan sits on two strategic axes: the Caspian basin (linking to Azerbaijan, Iran, Europe) and the East–West overland backbone (China to Europe via Central Asia). With multiple independent optical entries at Akashi’s Astana campus, regional cloud operators now have the connectivity plus compute capacity they previously had to route through Frankfurt or Singapore.

The result: Kazakhstan stops being a country that traffic passes through and starts being a country that traffic terminates in.