BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 28. With the support of the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of Kazakhstan, Beeline Kazakhstan, jointly with Starlink Mobile, has launched satellite mobile connectivity using Direct to Cell technology, according to the ministry.
The service will allow users to access selected communication services on smartphones outside the coverage of terrestrial mobile networks.
The introduction of Starlink Mobile follows agreements reached during President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s official visit to the United States in 2025. In November of the same year, the ministry and Beeline Kazakhstan signed a memorandum of cooperation on the introduction of Direct to Cell technology, while the first practical tests were conducted in December.
“Last autumn, during President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s official visit to the United States, Kazakhstan reached an agreement on the introduction of Starlink Mobile satellite connectivity (Direct to Cell). Today, we see how this agreement is becoming a reality. Kazakhstan has become the first country in Central Asia where Direct to Cell has undergone practical testing and is now moving to the user service level. It is important for us that advanced technologies are becoming not just part of international agreements, but are beginning to work here in Kazakhstan and bring tangible benefits to people,” Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development Zhaslan Madiyev said.
The technology enables a compatible smartphone to connect directly to Starlink Mobile satellites (Direct to Cell) without a dedicated satellite phone, external antenna or additional equipment. Users will be able to send and receive messages and access basic internet services in areas where terrestrial mobile networks are completely unavailable.
Satellite connectivity complements terrestrial mobile infrastructure and expands communication capabilities in remote areas, on highways outside cities and in mountainous areas. Connection is possible when terrestrial coverage is unavailable and conditions allow a connection to be established with a satellite.
The technology creates additional opportunities for sending messages from hard-to-reach areas, as well as in situations where terrestrial infrastructure has been damaged. It can be useful for tourists, residents of remote settlements, road and utility workers, and specialists working away from populated areas.
The project is being implemented jointly by the ministry, Beeline Kazakhstan and Starlink. An additional basis for the cooperation is a global framework agreement between Starlink and VEON Group, which holds a controlling stake in Beeline Kazakhstan.
