380 km of fiber optics across the Caspian Sea: Kazakhstan to become an important digital hub between Asia and Europe
The throughput of the Trans-Caspian FOCL exceeds 400 Tbit/s
Specialists from Kazakhtelecom and AzerTelecom have laid 380 kilometers of fiber optic cable along the bottom of the Caspian Sea to make the Trans-Caspian Fiber Optic Communication Line (FOCL) operational. This was announced by Bagdat Mussin, Chairman of the Board of the national telecommunications operator.
For Kazakhstan, this is another step towards becoming an important digital hub between Asia and Europe. The new route opens up additional opportunities for international data transit, the development of our Data Center Valley, and attracting large technology companies.
The Trans-Caspian FOCL was launched on October 15 with the participation of Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and his Azerbaijani counterpart Ilham Aliyev. The new infrastructure will enhance the resilience of international communications.
The cable, which runs along the bottom of the Caspian Sea, includes 64 optical fibers. The line's throughput exceeds 400 Tbit/s. The delay on the Aktau — Istanbul route will be only 34 milliseconds. It is expected that the volume of transit traffic will grow to 21.6 Tbit/s in the coming years.
Construction of the Trans-Caspian FOCL began in 2025. For the project's implementation, marine surveys were conducted, and the cable laying route was agreed upon, taking into account safe navigation.
