The completion of the marine section of the Trans-Caspian underwater fiber-optic communication line laid along the bottom of the Caspian Sea between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan is an event of strategic importance not only for the two countries, but for the digital development of the Eurasian region as a whole. This project is of high importance at a time when the global economy, financial systems, e-commerce, and public administration are rapidly digitizing, including the development of artificial intelligence technologies. In our era, fast and reliable data transmission infrastructure is considered as important as energy and transport corridors. In this sense, the new fiber-optic connection established along the Aktau-Sumgait route can be assessed as the beginning of a new stage in the region’s digital map.
Sea-news.az reports that Mushfig Alasgarli, a member of the Board of the Press Council, stated this in a statement to AZERTAC.
He noted that the project’s most important advantage is, first of all, the formation of an alternative and more reliable route for the transmission of data between Asia and Europe: “Currently, a significant portion of global internet traffic passes through certain geographical directions. Any technical malfunction, natural disaster, or geopolitical risk can affect the resilience of communication along these routes. The Trans-Caspian line will serve to diversify international internet connections by mitigating these risks. The increase in alternative routes both enhances the security of global internet infrastructure and creates opportunities for faster and uninterrupted data transmission.”
Mushfig Alasgarli said that this project is one of the logical results of the successful strategic policy implemented by Azerbaijan in recent years: “For a long time, Azerbaijan has been shaping itself not only as an energy-exporting country, but also as an important transport, logistics, and communication hub connecting Europe and Asia. Large-scale projects such as the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, the Southern Gas Corridor, the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, the Alat International Sea Trade Port, and the Middle Corridor constitute the main pillars of this strategy. The Trans-Caspian fiber-optic line is also a continuation of this policy in the digital direction. In other words, Azerbaijan is strengthening its role as a regional hub not only in energy and freight transport, but also in the management of information flows.”
“The importance of the project is not limited to Azerbaijan alone. Central Asian countries have long sought to diversify their access routes to world markets. Today, we are talking not just about energy and freight transport, but also about digital connectivity. The new fiber-optic line creates a shorter, safer, and high-bandwidth digital access opportunity for Kazakhstan, and in the future for other Central Asian states, to European markets. This will also have a positive impact on the development of the digital economy of regional countries, the expansion of e-commerce, the strengthening of innovation ecosystems, and the attraction of international investments. The strengthening of digital integration between Central Asia and the South Caucasus will also open new opportunities for regional cooperation,” he added.
