Central Asia information expansion promoted

The expansion of the Trans-Eurasian Information Super Highway (TASIM) development in Central Asia will happen under Horizon 2020, according to project head Zaur Hasanov.

Hasanov told Azerbaijan’s Trend Agency that the TASIM working group plans to study over 20 programmes introduced under Horizon 2020 and will work together with scientific bodies and public organisations. He said the plan corresponds to the principles of the Eurasian Connectivity Alliance (EuraCA).

TASIM aims to first provide a transnational fibre optic line across Eurasia, stretching from Western Europe to Eastern Asia. The project will create a transit link from Frankfurt to Hong Kong, connecting major information exchanges in countries including Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. A reserve North transit line will cross Russia, Ukraine and Poland.

During the second phase of the project, TASIM plans to provide Eurasian countries that do not have direct access to open sea with an affordable internet connection. Hasanov said $100m (€73m) would be required to complete both stages.

A growing number of countries have expressed readiness to take part in the project. Executive director on infrastructural projects of KazTransCom JSC Alexandr Kislitsyn said earlier that Kazakhstan is interested in the TASIM project.

“The head of the presidential administration took the project under personal control. Accordingly, its importance in Kazakhstan has increased. Perhaps now we will make more efforts to promote the project faster,” Kislitsyn said.

Kislitsyn also told Trend Agency that negotiations between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan on the construction of the Caspian segment of the TASIM fibre optic cable line are already underway. It’s hoped that TASIM will promote the development of internet services which will then lead to economic development, economic diversification and increased competition.