Trans-Caspian Subsea Fibre Link Between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan Enters Service
DataNews Editorial Team
A Trans-Caspian subsea fibre-optic link between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan has been launched, creating an additional international data route across the Caspian Sea. The cable is designed for more than 400 Tbps of capacity and is intended to support traffic distribution and redundancy between Asian and European markets.
- The Trans-Caspian subsea fibre link between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan has been launched.
- The cable has 64 optical fibres and a stated design capacity of more than 400 Tbps.
- The Aktau–Istanbul route is stated to provide 34 ms latency, pending confirmation in operation.
- The route could add transport redundancy for cross-border cloud, enterprise and AI workloads.
- The source forecasts transit traffic could exceed twice its prior level and reach 21.6 Tbps in the coming years.
The Trans-Caspian fibre-optic link between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan has entered service, adding a subsea international route across the Caspian Sea. According to the source, the project is intended to expand Kazakhstan’s international connectivity and give operators an additional path for distributing and backing up traffic.
The subsea cable contains 64 optical fibres and has a stated design capacity of more than 400 Tbps. Latency on the Aktau–Istanbul route is stated at 34 ms, although this is presented as a prospective technical parameter rather than a confirmed operational measurement.
The route is positioned as a digital-transit link between Asian and European markets. The source forecasts that transit traffic could more than double to 21.6 Tbps in the coming years. That figure is a forecast, not a reported current traffic level.
For data-center and cloud operators, additional high-capacity international transport can strengthen route diversity and improve the resilience of cross-border connectivity. This could support growth in cloud, enterprise and AI workloads serving Kazakhstan, the Caucasus and wider international destinations. Its practical market effect will depend on commercial availability, actual utilisation and the development of terrestrial infrastructure, none of which were disclosed.
Active work on the project began in 2025, with the launch occurring in less than two years, according to the source. The source links the route to the potential development of data centers, cloud platforms and AI computing in Kazakhstan, but does not report any specific facilities, operators, investments or deployment commitments.
High-capacity, resilient international connectivity is a prerequisite for regional data centers, cloud platforms and AI computing infrastructure. The new route could improve Kazakhstan’s position for digital infrastructure by reducing reliance on individual transit paths, although no new data-center deployments or construction commitments were disclosed.
- Форум ЦОД / DCForum / October 16, 2026 · RussianSource →