Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan launch fiber-optic line across Caspian Sea
Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are now officially connected by a 380-kilometer fiber-optic communication line laid on the seabed of the Caspian Sea. Kazakhstani President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev took part in the official launch ceremony.
According to Akorda.kz, the subsea cable will become part of a new data transmission route linking Central Asia, China and Europe.
The project was implemented jointly by national communications operators Kazakhtelecom and AzerTelecom. According to the government, the operators financed the project with their own funds, without using the state budget.
A digital embodiment of the Middle Corridor
Speaking at the ceremony, Tokayev said the new line would strengthen cooperation between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan in developing the Middle Corridor.
«We have launched a highly significant project; it is of international significance. Most importantly, this represents a new type of corridor — not a transport corridor, but something entirely new, well-suited to the modern era of digitalization. It is a fundamentally new format of cooperation — a digital embodiment of the Middle Corridor,» he emphasized.
The Trans-Caspian fiber-optic link will provide Kazakhstan with an additional international communication channel. It is expected to attract global tech giants and foster cloud services and AI infrastructure. In the future, the line could be connected to subsea communication systems in the Mediterranean Sea and the Black Sea.
Connecting multiple regions
As Aliyev noted, the new infrastructure would serve countries across Central Asia, the South Caucasus and beyond.
«This project represents another contribution to deepening our cooperation, as the fiber-optic link will be utilized by nations in Central Asia, the South Caucasus and beyond. Today, we have kicked off a global project,» he said.
Zhaslan Madiyev, deputy prime minister and minister of artificial intelligence and digital development of Kazakhstan; Rashad Nabiyev, minister of digital development and transportation of Azerbaijan; and Bagdat Musin, CEO of Kazakhtelecom, also attended the ceremony and spoke at the ceremony.
How the subsea line was built
The subsea cable laying between Aktau and Sumgayit began in July 2026. CaspiLink B.V., a joint venture established by Kazakhtelecom and AzerTelecom International to operate the line, completed the work on Aug. 5. That phase involved 70 technical specialists who worked around the clock aboard a vessel with a displacement of more than 20,000 tons. Subsequent phases included connecting the cable to onshore infrastructure, completing land-based construction and testing the entire system.
In 2023, Kazakhtelecom said the Trans-Caspian fiber-optic cable would serve as the country’s third major gateway to the global network, alongside existing routes via Russia and China. The project is part of the Digital Silk Way initiative and is intended to provide an additional route in the event of disruptions to existing lines.
