Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan to launch Trans-Caspian fiber-optic cable in Q4 2026

The Trans-Caspian fiber-optic communication line between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan is expected to be commissioned in the fourth quarter of 2026, with testing and commissioning works currently underway, the Telecommunications Committee of Kazakhstan's Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development said in response to an official inquiry of Report's Kazakhstan bureau.

The ministry said the project has entered its final stage. The most labor-intensive and key phase - laying the cable along the bottom of the Caspian Sea - has already been completed. Specialists are currently configuring equipment and carrying out testing and commissioning works.

The committee noted that the Trans-Caspian fiber-optic line will create an additional international digital route between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan and become an important element in developing telecommunications transit infrastructure between Europe and Asia. The possibility of further expanding the digital corridor and connecting other Central Asian countries is also being considered.

At the same time, the ministry said information on specific negotiations with Turkmenistan or other countries in the region regarding their connection to the Trans-Caspian fiber-optic line cannot yet be disclosed pending the completion of relevant consultations and approvals.