Telecom operators of Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan are investing more than $50.6 million (more than 23 billion tenge) in the project of laying the Trans-Caspian Fiber Optic Communication Line along the bottom of the Caspian Sea, Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry of Kazakhstan Zhaslan Madiyev said at a government meeting, Ednews informs referring to the press service of the Kazakh Cabinet of Ministers.

“Today, a joint venture has been created between Kazakhtelecom JSC (the national telecommunications company of Kazakhstan) and AzerTelecom LLC, a tender to select a contractor for the design and laying of an underwater fiber-optic line is being completed. The fiber-optic cable will be laid along the bottom of the Caspian Sea at 370 kilometers,” Madiyev added.

The Trans-Caspian Fiber Optic Communication Line project along the bottom of the Caspian Sea is part of the Digital Silk Road project, which provides for the creation of a digital telecommunications corridor between Europe and Asia. It was previously reported that the project implementation period is 2025.

The underwater fiber-optic communication line will run along the Aktau – Sumgait route. The maximum throughput will reach 400 Tbit per second.