BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, May 26. Kyrgyzstan has launched a pilot project for satellite internet services, with the country’s first high-altitude school connected to the Starlink network, Trend reports via the press service of the nation's Cabinet of Ministers.
Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Kyrgyzstan Adylbek Kasymaliev officially launched high-speed satellite internet services via videoconference at a secondary school in the high-mountain village of Enilchek in the Issyk-Kul region.
The school, which previously had no access to the global internet network due to its remote location and lack of ground communications infrastructure, became the first social facility in the country connected through the Starlink satellite system.
Speaking during the ceremony, Kasymaliev said digitalization of education and equal access to knowledge regardless of geographic location remain priorities of state policy. As part of support measures, the head of the Cabinet handed over five modern computers to equip the school’s classroom.
He also instructed the Ministry of Education to promptly integrate the Enilchek school into all state educational information systems to ensure access to digital learning resources and electronic databases.
"Today, access to modern technologies is reaching even the most remote corners of our mountainous republic. Connecting the school in Enilchek is an important step. At present, only six schools in hard-to-reach areas across the country remain without internet access, and ensuring stable and high-quality connectivity for them is our next priority," Kasymaliev said.
According to the Cabinet of Ministers, Kyrgyzstan officially entered the active coverage area on the global Starlink map on May 23, 2026, following work on the technical and legal aspects of the project.
Local company ElCat acted as the project’s partner in Kyrgyzstan, implementing the technical infrastructure in line with international standards.
The pilot project is being implemented under a presidential decree on the use of non-geostationary satellite systems signed on October 3, 2025. The government noted that SpaceX became the first company to meet all technical and legal requirements for launching the project in the country, while emphasizing that the initiative remains open to other satellite internet providers that comply with national standards.
