Fiber-optic cable laying between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan begins

Work has begun on laying a fiber-optic cable along the seabed of the Caspian Sea from Baku to Aktau. The cable is expected to connect Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan within 20 days, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development said.

Completed work

In 2025, preparatory work for the project was completed. Specialists conducted marine surveys and charted a safe route around military zones and anchorage areas.

The armored cable was manufactured and tested in China, while the Mangystau region authorities granted an environmental permit for its use, after which work at sea began.

«The fiber-optic cable, previously delivered from China to the Port of Kuryk, and three large cargo baskets with a combined weight of 600 tonnes were loaded onto a specialized logistics vessel and transported to Baku,» the ministry said.

Work underway

The fiber-optic cable has already been transferred from the transport baskets into the cable tank aboard a cable-laying vessel with a displacement of more than 20,000 tons, which has departed Baku for Aktau to begin laying the line.

There are 70 crew members on board, including specialists from Kazakhstan’s national telecommunications operator, Kazakhtelecom. A dedicated jointing room has been set up on deck, where the Kazakh and Azerbaijani cable ends have already been jointed and fully tested.

«Under favorable weather conditions, laying the submarine cable is expected to be completed within 15 to 20 days, while the full scope of technological and commissioning work is scheduled for completion by the end of 2026,» the ministry said.