Kazakhstan-Azerbaijan Trans-Caspian fiber link nears finish line

The Trans-Caspian fiber-optic cable project connecting Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan has entered its final stage, with commissioning and testing work currently underway and commercial operation scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2026.

The Telecommunications Committee of Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development provided the update in response to an official inquiry from the Azerbaijani media.

The committee said the project’s most technically demanding phase — laying the fiber-optic cable along the seabed of the Caspian Sea — has already been completed. Specialists are now configuring equipment and conducting commissioning and testing operations.

Once operational, the Trans-Caspian fiber-optic link will provide an additional international digital route between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan and strengthen telecommunications connectivity between Europe and Asia.

The project is also expected to contribute to the development of a broader digital corridor, with the possibility of connecting additional Central Asian countries being considered.

However, the committee said details of any ongoing discussions with Turkmenistan or other regional countries regarding potential connections to the cable cannot yet be disclosed, pending the completion of relevant consultations and coordination.

By Vafa Guliyeva