Across the Kyrgyz Republic, access to high-speed internet is transforming how people in rural communities live and work. Increasingly, even in the remotest villages, teachers now use digital tools in their classrooms; healthcare workers manage patient records online; and local government employees provide services faster and more efficiently.
This is thanks to Digital CASA – Kyrgyz Republic (DCASA)—a project financed by the International Development Association (IDA), a part of the World Bank Group that helps the world’s low-income countries—that has expanded broadband internet access to thousands of public institutions, including schools, medical facilities, and rural administrations.
By investing in the country’s digital connectivity, the project is opening new economic opportunities for rural communities: boosting competitiveness, helping them prepare for the jobs of the future, and reducing inequality.
Teaching Digital Skills
Through DCASA, more than 2,000 schools across the Kyrgyz Republic are now connected to the internet via broadband, giving teachers and students in rural areas access to tools and skills that connect directly to real-world jobs.
In Toguz-Bulak village, students are learning programming, digital design, and coding languages—skills once largely confined only to urban schools.
Now everything is connected. All the computers have internet access. Currently, I teach students programming: design, HTML, CSS, and Python. We have already completed the basic section of Python.
Adilet Myrzabekov
IT teacher in Toguz-Bulak village, Chuy Region
For students in a small rural village, mastering programming can open doors to IT careers and other professions.
Reliable internet also lets students access interactive assessments, digital resources, and online courses that enhance practical skills. Senior students use these tools to prepare for university entrance exams, study languages, or explore new opportunities and perspectives.
By investing in rural broadband, young people in these communities are broadening their horizons and preparing for the demands of the modern workforce.
Supporting Health Workers in Remote Clinics
In the small rural health station in Tuyte village in the mountains of Talas Region, internet connectivity has changed how medical staff care for patients.
Today, medical documentation is maintained digitally, and patients can register through a mobile application. Doctors and feldshers now have access to the online governmental system “Sanarip Clinic” (Digital Clinic) that allows them to quickly access patient information.
Medical practitioner Gulumkan Rysmanbetova says the difference is enormous. In the past, paperwork took up much of her workday. Now patient information is stored in a single digital system that can be retrieved whenever needed—from anywhere in the country.
READ MORE: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2026/04/23/broadband-access-transforms-rural-life-across-kyrgyz-republic
