PIONEERING WI-FI 7
Kazakhstan’s Freedom Telecom has been recognized as a global leader in next-generation wireless technology, winning the “Wi-Fi 7 Pioneer Award” at GITEX GLOBAL 2025 in Dubai. The award, presented by Huawei and IEEE, highlights the company’s efforts to deploy Wi-Fi 7 technology and build the country’s future digital infrastructure.
Wi-Fi Innovator
GITEX GLOBAL 2025, an annual global technology exhibition that brings together startups, large corporations, investors, governments, and technology enthusiasts, took place from October 13 to 17 in Dubai. As part of the event, Huawei held an awards ceremony for participants in the “Imagine Wi-Fi 7 to Reality” program, which promotes innovative wireless solutions based on Wi-Fi 7 technology.
In the fourth season of the program, Freedom Telecom — a Kazakh company and part of Freedom Holding Corp., a Nasdaq-listed fintech and digital services group operating in over 20 countries — won the “Wi-Fi 7 Pioneer Award.” “We are proud of our team and the Freedom Wi-Fi project,” said Timur Turlov, founder and CEO of Freedom Holding Corp.
What Is the Wi-Fi 7 Program
The International Wi-Fi 7 Program, established by Huawei and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), was launched in 2024. The program invites industry professionals, customers, partners, research institutions, universities, and analysts to collaborate on developing new wireless technologies and exploring innovative use cases on a shared, open platform. Its goal is to advance the standardization and practical implementation of Wi-Fi 7 worldwide.
Wi-Fi 7 represents a new generation of wireless networks offering significantly higher speeds (several times faster than Wi-Fi 6), more stable connections, and ultra-low response times, making it suitable for critical tasks.
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Bringing Wi-Fi 7 to Life
Each season, the program honors telecom operators, integrators, and technology companies that pioneer innovative solutions based on Wi-Fi 7. “This is more than just an award — it’s global recognition,” said Kairat Akhmetov, CEO of Freedom Telecom. “Behind this trophy are months of hard work, thousands of access points, and a strong belief that Kazakhstan can become one of the world’s Wi-Fi 7 pioneers,” he explained.
Today, Freedom Wi-Fi already operates over 3,000 active access points, has transmitted more than 1 million GB of data, and serves over 1 million user authorizations every month — and this is only the beginning. According to Akhmetov, within the next five years, the company plans to expand the network to around 40,000 access points nationwide, all powered by cutting-edge Wi-Fi 7 technology.
Building the Telecom Future of Kazakhstan
Although the telecom division is relatively new for the Freedom Group — its subsidiary, Freedom Telecom, was established in August 2023 — it is crucial for implementing Freedom’s overall business strategy. Wi-Fi services are one of the key components of this business line. Other activities in the telecom segment include providing mobile communications services, broadband internet access, and developing a media platform, among others.
In August 2024, Freedom Telecom became the first operator in Kazakhstan to join the Wi-Fi Alliance — an association of major manufacturers of computer equipment and wireless devices. At the end of October 2025, the company announced that it would provide secure internet access at socially significant locations in all cities across the country, including border posts, airports, railway and bus stations, schools, and medical facilities. “The infrastructure we are creating will serve as a platform for developing digital services and solutions based on artificial intelligence, supporting Kazakhstan’s transition to an AI-driven economy,” Akhmetov explained.
Kazakhstan’s commitment to developing a knowledge-based society powered by advanced technologies, especially AI, was announced at the highest level by the country’s president. Further progress in this direction depends on the availability of modern, wide-area, high-speed Wi-Fi. “Demand for the internet in Kazakhstan exceeds supply. There is a shortage of telecommunications infrastructure in the country,” explained Timur Turlov. “We’re not just building a Wi-Fi network; we’re creating next-generation infrastructure for the entire country,” Turlov continued.
