BISHKEK, Kyrgyzstan, March 18. EIB Global, the European Investment Bank’s global arm, and the European Commission have signed a nearly 60 million euro deal with SES, a European satellite connectivity provider, to bring satellite internet to remote rural areas in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, Trend reports.
This initiative, part of Team Europe, aims to provide fast and reliable internet to about three million people in remote areas, including Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.
The funds will support the deployment of satellite terminal antennas connected to SES’s medium earth orbit network. Nearly half of Central Asia’s population lacks internet access, and this project aims to address that by offering broadband to underserved rural communities.
The project is part of the EU's Global Gateway initiative, which focuses on sustainable infrastructure investments to improve lives and foster digital economies worldwide. The initiative will also help Central Asia transition to a digital economy, creating new jobs and improving living conditions.
EIB Vice-President Kyriacos Kakouris emphasized the importance of this project in addressing the digital divide and promoting global connectivity. SES will expand its O3b mPOWER satellite network to deliver these services, with partial financing from the EIB’s earlier 125 million loan euro.
