Kazakhtelecom and AzerTelecom start work on Trans-Caspian cable

Details: John Tanner; Category: Optical & Fixed Networks; 08 August 2025; 6189 views

Kazakhtelecom and AzerTelecom have entered the active phase of deploying the long-planned Trans-Caspian Submarine Cable System that will cross the Caspian Sea to connect Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.

Kazakhtelecom JSC CEO Bagdat Mussin said in a post on Telegram on Wednesday that the two telcos have completed a survey of the coastal zones for the subsea cable and selected locations for the beach manholes and cable landing stations.

On Wednesday, a specialized survey vessel departed the Kazakh port of Bautino to begin mapping the seabed to assess depth, terrain, underwater currents, and geological conditions to finalize the cable route, Mussin said.

Mussin also said the 380-km Trans-Caspian cable will pack at least 400 Tbps of capacity and is scheduled for completion by the end of 2026. According to various media reports, the project comes with a price tag of US$50.6 million.

AzerTelecom and Kazakhtelecom formed a JV in June 2024 to construct the cable, which has been in the works since 2019. At that time, according to the Times Of Central Asia, Transtelecom and KazTransCom were the Kazakh telcos involved, but both exited the project in 2022, while Kazakhtelecom stepped in to take over the project the following year.

In April this year, AzerTelecom and Kazakhtelecom hired subsea cable project management firm Pioneer Consulting to oversee construction of the subsea system. Pioneer had been supporting the design and procurement process for the project since the start of 2024.

While the Trans-Caspian cable is intended to directly link the respective telecoms infrastructures of AzerTelecom and Kazakhtelecom, 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.

Mussin said in his Telegram post that the cable will transform the Caspian Sea into a “telecommunication bridge” between Asia and Europe.

“When the first byte of data passes through this artery, a new chapter in the region's digital history will begin,” he said.