Construction of trans-Eurasian 'information highway' speeds up
By Aynur Jafarova
Work on the construction of the Trans-Eurasian Information Super Highway (TASIM) has been accelerated, Azerbaijani Minister of Communication and Information Technologies Ali Abbasov said on Tuesday.
Abbasov said one of the important components in the implementation of the project is laying the Trans-Caspian segment of the cable route.
A relevant agreement is expected to be reached in the near future, the minister said.
According to him, Azerbaijan is discussing with Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan the possibility of laying the underwater segment.
Commissioning of TASIM is expected in mid-2013. The main issue currently on the agenda is joint construction of a fiber optic cable route under the Caspian Sea with the participation of Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.
Overall, it is planned to build two main lines under the project, one of which will pass through Ukraine, while the other one will go through the territory of Turkey. Both main lines will be independent and interchangeable. The operators of these countries will act as the linkers with major European operators.
TASIM is a project of regional importance and aims to connect a total of 20 countries. Its implementation will allow eliminating the "information gap" between the countries of Western Europe and the Pacific region.
The project envisages the creation of a major transit link from Frankfurt, Germany to Hong Kong. The line will combine the major centers of information exchange in Europe and Asia. The transit line will stretch through China, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey to Germany. The reserve North transit line will pass through the territories of Russia, Ukraine and Poland.
The TASIM project will contribute to creating an open information society in the region, to increase the speed of Internet connection and promote the development of Internet services, which, in turn, will lead to economic development, diversification of the economy and increased competition.
TASIM is a long-term initiative and will be implemented in two stages.
During the first phase leading regional countries and operators will create major Internet transit infrastructure, linking the West and East. The process is planned to be completed in late 2013.
In the second phase of the project, it is supposed that by using the created transit infrastructure, TASIM will provide the Eurasian countries that do not have direct access to open sea, including Central Asian states, with Internet connection at affordable rates. According to the plan, new fiber-optic lines will be constructed, while the existing ones will be upgraded and connected to the TASIM network.