China Mobile’s Central Asia Digital Push: New Fibre Route, HK$10M Bet, and a Race for 5G and AI

A Multi-Million Dollar Bet on 'Exponential' Growth

The scale of CMI's ambition is reflected in its investment commitment. Chan disclosed that the company's current investment in Central Asia is approximately HK$10 million—an eight-digit figure in Hong Kong dollars—but he said that amount "will multiply in a few years" as demand accelerates .

This financial ramp-up is pinned on a clear opportunity: Central Asia is a relatively untapped market for advanced connectivity. Chan noted that 5G networks only launched in the region in 2023, a stark contrast to the mature, saturated market in China. He described the region's growth potential as "exponential," singling out Kazakhstan's aggressive economic development and new government focus on AI and digitalization as a significant policy tailwind .

"They have set up a new department to accelerate AI and digitalisation," Chan said, adding that this policy backing "will actually generate a lot more opportunity in smart solutions" .

Beyond Cables: Smart Mining and a Logistics MoU

CMI's plan extends far beyond passive infrastructure. The company is actively pushing its sector-specific digital solutions to capture the enterprise market. Chan pointed out that while local 5G development currently focuses on traditional consumer markets, "the enterprise service ecosystem is still evolving" . CMI intends to fill that gap with its own technology.

Key offerings being promoted in the region include a 5G Private Network + OnePower Platform designed for smart mining—a critical sector given Central Asia's resource-rich economies—as well as solutions for smart petrochemical plants and smart industrial parks .

This enterprise push will be formalized during a June 2026 visit by Hong Kong's Chief Executive, John Lee. CMI is set to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with QazPost, Kazakhstan's national postal operator, to develop an integrated "communications-plus-logistics" smart platform . This partnership signals a move to stitch together digital and physical supply chains, reinforcing Hong Kong's role as a "super connector" for the Greater Bay Area, Central Asia, and Europe .

The Bigger Picture: Paving the Way for Chinese Tech Exports

Chan's strategy is not just about CMI's own growth. He positioned the company as the essential technical-services backbone for mainland Chinese enterprises "going global" into Central Asia. The vision is to use CMI's expanding network to export Chinese telecom equipment, technical standards, and service solutions into the region, leveraging Hong Kong's unique position as both a "super connector" and "super value-adder" .

This aligns with the broader Belt and Road Initiative, with CMI aiming to create a seamless cross-border digital economy network that links China's manufacturing heartland in the Greater Bay Area to the markets and resources of Central Asia and Europe . The company's ongoing global infrastructure build-out, which recently saw total international transmission bandwidth reach 406T and Points of Presence hit 446 globally, demonstrates the scale of the network available to support this vision .