Trans-Caspian Cable Deployment Begins

John Tanner, Developing Telecoms
August 4, 2026

Marine deployment has begun on the Trans-Caspian Submarine Cable System between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan, according to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development. Developing Telecoms reported that the cable ship left Baku and started laying the first phase of the network.

The planned 380-km route crosses the Caspian Sea, connecting Sumgait in Azerbaijan with Aktau in Kazakhstan. Installation is expected to take 15 to 20 days if weather conditions allow. The landing stations and their terrestrial fibre connections have already been built and tested, clearing key shore-side work ahead of the marine campaign.

CaspiLink, a joint venture formed by Kazakhtelecom and AzerTelecom in 2024, is implementing the project. Pioneer Consulting was appointed in April 2025 to oversee construction of the subsea system after the desktop study and marine route survey were completed. The partners are targeting completion of technological work and commissioning by the end of 2026.

The system is designed to provide 400 Tbps of capacity and directly connect the two national telecom networks. It also forms part of the broader Digital Silk Road initiative, giving the route a wider role in regional connectivity. A second phase is planned between Sumgait and Turkmenbashi in Turkmenistan, but no timetable has been announced for that extension. The current milestone concerns the Azerbaijan-Kazakhstan section now entering marine installation.

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