Internet shut down in Kazakhstan amid unrest

On January 5, 2022, Kazakhstan experienced a nationwide internet shutdown amid mass protests against sudden energy price increases. The full shutdown occurred after restrictions to mobile internet access were imposed the previous day. This disruption affected telecommunication companies such as Kazakhtelecom and mobile internet services like Tele2 or Kcell. BGP updates from Kazakhstan's ASNs indicated a clear spike at the time of the shutdown, similar to other state-imposed shutdowns in situations of unrest or elections. The shutdown has impacted communications between families, businesses, media outlets, and Bitcoin mining operations in the country. There have been brief periods of internet restoration coinciding with public announcements by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, but the shutdown continues as of January 7, 2022.