Aitu Passport or SMS Wi-Fi authorization: what the rules say and what to choose

SMS authorization costs money for every message, and at volume that becomes a visible line in the budget. Aitu Passport gives a one-tap sign-in with no charge per code. But price cannot be the only criterion: the communications rules name just two ways to connect a guest, and Aitu Passport is not one of them.

What the rules say

Since 12 July 2026 the Communication Services Rules allow a guest to be connected to public Wi-Fi in two ways: a one-time password sent by SMS to the subscriber number, or sign-in through the eGov portal with a digital signature (clauses 110–112 as amended by Order No. 322/НҚ). Sign-in through Aitu Passport, like any other third-party digital ID, is not named on that list. What exactly changed is covered in the article on the 2025 and 2026 rules.

The practical conclusion: the SMS code should be the base method on your login page. Aitu Passport can sit next to it as an extra button, but if you need every session to meet the rules on paper, check that sign-in with a lawyer before making it the main one.

How each method works

SMS. The guest enters a number, the platform sends a message through a gateway, the guest types the code. It works on any phone, including a push-button one, and needs nothing installed. This is the method the rules describe word for word: a "Login" field, a "Get password" button, a one-time password.

Aitu Passport. The guest confirms identity through an app they already have. No code to wait for, sign-in takes a second. In return it needs the app installed and mobile data at the moment of sign-in — on a guest portal that is solved by allowing the required addresses before authorization.

Money

SMS is a variable cost: you pay for every message, and the bill grows with footfall. For a coffee shop with fifty connections a day that is tolerable; for a mall with thousands it is a noticeable monthly sum. So discuss SMS pricing with the vendor up front: are messages included in the plan, and what happens when traffic grows.

A digital ID has no per-confirmation cost. The saving is real, but it does not lift the rules: an extra button reduces the number of SMS messages, it does not replace them.

Reliability

• SMS does not always arrive. Operator delays, roaming, a full phone memory. The guest stands there waiting
• Other people's numbers. Nothing stops a guest typing a friend's number if the friend is nearby. For identification that is noise in the data
• A digital ID does not depend on message delivery — a strength for convenience, but not a substitute for a method named in the rules

Which fits which situation

Situation	Better fit
Small coffee shop, dozens of connections a day	SMS, the cost is negligible
Shopping mall, thousands of connections	SMS as the main sign-in, Aitu Passport as a fast extra button
Hotel with staying guests	SMS in every area, PMS link as a convenience for residents
Foreign tourists	SMS to a foreign number: they will not have the app

The practical takeaway

It is not either-or, but the order matters. The SMS code is the main sign-in and covers the user identification requirement. Aitu Passport is an extra button for those who prefer it.

• The base the rules ask for: any guest can sign in with an SMS code
• Fast sign-in: Aitu Passport for those who have the app
• One log: sessions are recorded the same way whatever the method — see log retention

The technical side does not depend on the method: a portal, hardware that supports a captive portal and an external authorization server — details in the hardware overview. Scenarios for hotels and shopping malls are covered separately.