Wi-Fi From Space: Kazakhstan’s Bold Pilot Brings Satellite Internet Aboard Trains
Not long ago, the idea of full internet access on Kazakhstani trains felt like science fiction. Today it’s becoming reality, as a new pilot program beams satellite internet to moving trains across Kazakhstan. In an interview with The Times of Central Asia, Anuar Akhmetzhanov – Chairman of the Board of JSC “Passenger Transport,” a division of national railway company Kazakhstan Temir Zholy – explained that onboard Wi-Fi is now a key priority in modernizing passenger transport timesca.com. Starting this year, KTZ teamed up with the official distributor of OneWeb to bring high-speed connectivity to select long-distance routes timesca.com. The first test came on the popular Astana–Almaty line, quickly followed by the Astana–Oskemen route in the spring timesca.com. Riders on these trains can now video chat, stream movies, and browse the web from their seats – a dramatic change for rail journeys that often last 17+ hours across the steppe astanatimes.com. This railway internet initiative leverages low-orbit satellite networks orbiting a few hundred kilometers above the Earth, which can deliver broadband to remote locations that lack cell coverage. OneWeb’s network is central to the pilot: antenna equipment on the train connects to OneWeb satellites, with Jusan Mobile acting as the local