AzerTelecom and Kazakhtelecom said they have awarded a supervision services contract to subsea cable project management firm Pioneer Consulting to oversee construction of the Trans-Caspian Submarine Cable System connecting Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.
AzerTelecom and Kazakhtelecom formed a JV in June 2024 to construct the cable to connect the networks of both telcos, but the project has been ongoing since at least January 2024, during which Pioneer Consulting has been supporting the design and procurement process.
Under the new contract announced on Tuesday, Pioneer Consulting will supervise the project’s development using its full suite of implementation services, including route engineering, permit acquisition oversight, project management, technical oversight, and quality assurance.
First announced last year, the 380-km cable will be the first fibre optic system crossing the Caspian Sea. Designed with a capacity of over 400 Tbps, the Trans-Caspian cable is intended to help create an alternate terrestrial route for data connectivity between Asia and Europe.
It’s also part of the “Digital Silk Road” project spearheaded by Beijing as an offshoot of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Kazakhstan is one of 17 countries that have formally signed on to the Digital Silk Road initiative.
According to Pioneer, the Digital Silk Road will provide connections from Asia through Kazakhstan, the Caspian Sea, and Azerbaijan with onwards connectivity into Europe through Georgia and the Black Sea.
Nurlan Meirmanov, chief strategy and external asset management officer of Kazakhtelecom, said the construction of the Trans-Caspian cable comes at a time when many countries and companies are seeking alternate digital highways between Asia and Europe that ensure reliable connectivity and high-capacity data transmission.
“By providing a direct, high-capacity data transmission route, this initiative enhances connectivity and regional digital ecosystem in the evolving global telecommunications landscape,” Meirmanov said in a statement.
A report from Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti in June 2024 said the cable would cost KZT23 billion (US$50.6 million).
The Trans-Caspian cable is expected to be completed by the end of 2026.
