Kazakhstan is rapidly losing ground in global mobile internet speed rankings. In the first five months of 2026, the country dropped from 50th to 56th place, with median speed falling 12.1% while the global average rose nearly 4%, reports infohub.kz.
According to analysts at Energyprom.kz, in May 2026 the median mobile internet speed in Kazakhstan was 88.11 Mbps, almost 25 Mbps below the global average of 113.16 Mbps. In January, the figure stood at 100.2 Mbps, dropping 12.1% by May. Over the same period, the global average increased by nearly 4%.
As a result, Kazakhstan has steadily lost positions in the global ranking. From 50th in January and a brief rise to 49th in February, it fell to 51st in March, 52nd in April, and 56th in May — a loss of four positions in one month and six since the start of the year.
Despite this, Kazakhstan still leads Central Asia. Uzbekistan ranks 77th with 61.03 Mbps, and Kyrgyzstan 82nd with 51.56 Mbps. However, analysts note that Kazakhstan's advantage is shrinking rapidly: the gap with Uzbekistan narrowed from over 47 Mbps in January to 27 Mbps in May.
The trend is also negative in major cities. In Almaty, mobile internet speed fell 22% since January, dropping the city from 60th to 84th globally. In Astana, the decline was 17.4%, losing 17 positions to rank 79th. Both capitals still exceed the global average: Astana at 120.7 Mbps and Almaty at 115.55 Mbps in May.
Analysts emphasize that the decline cannot be easily explained by the country's large territory. For comparison, Brazil — larger than Kazakhstan in area — ranks among the top five globally for mobile internet speed, with two cities in the top ten.
According to the study's authors, the main concern is not the current ranking but the negative trend. While other countries accelerate, Kazakhstan falls further behind and risks eventually losing its lead even within Central Asia. The reasons for the slowdown — network congestion, lack of base stations, underinvestment, or traffic growth — are not disclosed in the study.