inherited an outdated telecommunications network
from the Soviet era requiring modernization
domestic: intercity by landline and microwave radio relay; number of
fixed-line connections is gradually increasing and fixed-line
teledensity is about 20 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular usage is
increasing rapidly and subscriptions now exceed 80 per 100 persons
international: country code - 7; international traffic with other
former Soviet republics and China carried by landline and microwave
radio relay and with other countries by satellite and by the
Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic cable; satellite earth stations
- 2 Intelsat (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 60, FM 17, shortwave 9 (1998)

Radios:

6.47 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

12 (plus 9 repeaters) (1998)

Televisions:

3.88 million (1997)

Internet country code:

.kz

Internet hosts:

36,417 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

10 (with their own international channels) (2001)

Internet users:

1.901 million (2006)

Transportation
Kazakhstan

Airports:

97 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 65
over 3,047 m: 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 27
1,524 to 2,437 m: 17
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 8 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 32
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 12 (2007)

Heliports:

5 (2007)

Pipelines:

condensate 658 km; gas 11,082 km; oil 10,376 km; refined products
1,095 km (2007)

Railways:

total: 13,700 km
broad gauge: 13,700 km 1.520-m gauge (3,700 km electrified) (2006)

Roadways:

total: 91,563 km
paved: 83,717 km
unpaved: 7,846 km (2006)

Waterways:

4,000 km (on the Ertis ((Irtysh)) River (80%) and Syr Darya
((Syrdariya)) River) (2006)

Merchant marine:

total: 5
by type: petroleum tanker 4, refrigerated cargo 1 (2008)

Ports and terminals:

Aqtau (Shevchenko), Atyrau (Gur'yev), Oskemen (Ust-Kamenogorsk),
Pavlodar, Semey (Semipalatinsk)

Military
Kazakhstan

Military branches:

Ground Forces, Naval Force, Air and Air Defense Forces, Republican
Guard

Military service age and obligation:

18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service
obligation - 2 years; minimum age for volunteers NA (2004)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 4,176,731
females age 16-49: 4,219,636 (2008 est.)