OMM Newsroom
Tajikistan and China have launched a high-capacity digital corridor through the Pamir Mountains, AnewZ reports. The new telecommunications link could strengthen Tajikistan’s internet network and help the country become a transit route for data between Central and South Asia.
The fiber-optic line runs along the Dushanbe–Khorog–Kulma–Karasu–Beijing route. It stretches 1,010 kilometers through Tajikistan and approximately 6,100 kilometers through China.
One of the most challenging sections of construction on the Tajik side was a 435-kilometer stretch through the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region. The networks connect at the Kulma Pass on the Chinese border, at an altitude of 4,363 meters above sea level.
Until now, Tajikistan has relied mainly on fiber-optic lines passing through neighboring Central Asian countries for access to international networks. This dependence has left the country vulnerable to disruptions beyond its borders. The new link with China provides an alternative route for international data traffic, increasing the resilience and flexibility of the national network.
Tajikistan’s geographic location gives the corridor broader regional significance. Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan lie to the country’s north and west, while Afghanistan to the south offers potential access to Pakistan and the wider South Asian market. The Kulma Pass directly connects Tajikistan with China’s Xinjiang region.
The corridor could eventually make Tajikistan a transit hub for data traffic between regional markets. However, expanding connections to South Asia will require additional infrastructure and cross-border agreements.
The line is Tajikistan’s fifth international telecommunications gateway. The project is part of the country’s plan to increase the total capacity of its international connections to 2 terabits per second by 2030.
The Dushanbe–Khorog–Kulma section uses 16-fiber-optic cable and dense wavelength-division multiplexing (DWDM) technology. The line’s initial capacity is up to 1 terabit per second.
Operators plan to increase capacity to 10 terabits per second. Further upgrades could eventually raise it to several hundred terabits per second.
The new route also gives Tajiktelecom direct access to the Hong Kong Internet Exchange (HKIX), one of the key internet traffic exchange points in the Asia-Pacific region. The connection is expected to improve data exchanges with international services and make cross-border internet traffic more reliable.
The infrastructure could improve access to digital education and business services in remote areas of Gorno-Badakhshan. The project may also encourage investment in data centers equipped with graphics processing units (GPUs) for artificial intelligence applications. Tajikistan’s hydropower resources could offer an advantage in operating such energy-intensive facilities.
Tajikistan’s Communications Service has presented the project as part of the country’s efforts to establish itself along the Digital Silk Road. The corridor’s long-term success will depend on whether Tajikistan can attract enough cross-border data traffic to become a major regional transit hub. This will require stronger telecommunications links with neighboring countries and growth in the regional market for digital services.
