The Trans-Caspian fiber-optic communication line linking Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan is expected to become operational in the fourth quarter of 2026, with testing and commissioning works currently underway, Kazakhstan’s Telecommunications Committee said.

The ministry said the project has entered its final stage. The most labor-intensive and key phase - laying the cable along the bottom of the Caspian Sea - has already been completed. Specialists are currently configuring equipment and carrying out testing and commissioning works, Report informed.

The committee noted that the Trans-Caspian fiber-optic line will create an additional international digital route between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan and become an important element in developing telecommunications transit infrastructure between Europe and Asia. The possibility of further expanding the digital corridor and connecting other Central Asian countries is also being considered.

At the same time, the ministry said information on specific negotiations with Turkmenistan or other countries in the region regarding their connection to the Trans-Caspian fiber-optic line cannot yet be disclosed pending the completion of relevant consultations and approvals.