(5 January 2026 | According to Informburo.kz, Kursiv.kz and BES.media)
On 5 January, Kazakhstan experienced a major mobile communication and internet outage, which affected users of several operators and led to disruptions in banking and digital services. The official reasons for the restrictions had not been announced at the time of publication, and users report a lack of explanations and difficulties using online payments.
BANKING SERVICES BECAME UNAVAILABLE
Otbasy Bank reported the temporary unavailability of transactions in branches, the mobile app, and on the Baspana Market platform due to technical work. The contact centre was also temporarily out of service. The bank noted that system restoration took longer than planned.
Halyk Bank also reported temporary technical work and restrictions in its mobile application.
USERS REPORT MOBILE INTERNET DISRUPTIONS
According to Kursiv, on 5 January Kazakh citizens widely reported disruptions to mobile internet. Users of Tele2/Altel, Beeline, Activ and Kcell wrote that their connection either disappeared completely or worked with severe delays, despite having full signal strength.
On Threads, one user reported that Activ's support told them that the internet was "not working across all of Kazakhstan" due to a block. Another Kcell user said their internet access was cut off "for security reasons" without explanation. Some users cited possible external interference as the cause of the disruptions.
DISRUPTIONS RECORDED IN ALMATY
According to BES.media, residents of Almaty reported problems with mobile communications and the internet in a number of areas adjacent to the city centre. Users noted issues accessing online services, including when paying via mobile banking.
According to reports from Almaty residents, the disruptions affected subscribers of Tele2/Altel, Beeline, Activ and Kcell. In some areas, the connection is unstable or completely absent.
BANKS' RESPONSE
Halyk Bank told journalists that Halyk SuperApp is experiencing temporary technical restrictions due to increased load on the systems. The bank noted that specialists are working to stabilise and restore the full operation of services.
NO OFFICIAL EXPLANATION YET
Journalists have sent inquiries to mobile operators and to the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development of the Republic of Kazakhstan, asking them to explain the reasons for the disruptions and to provide a timeline for restoring communication. At the time of publication, no responses had been received from operators or government agencies.
Previously, disruptions to mobile communications and the internet in central areas of Almaty had been recorded during mass events, technical work, or periods of high network load. The specific reasons for the current restrictions are not specified in the materials.