Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) – Iraq’s iQ Networks and OFN, the international connectivity arm of Qatar’s Ooredoo Group, have agreed to build a high-capacity fibre connection across Iraq, furthering ambitions to connect the Gulf and Asia to Turkey and Europe via Iraqi territory.
According to the arrangement, OFN will buy numerous dark fibre pairs from iQ Networks for international transit throughout Iraq.
The terrestrial network will link to Ooredoo’s proposed Fibre in Gulf (FIG) subsea cable infrastructure, creating a single route for international data traffic.
The project might boost Iraq’s position as a regional digital transit center, using the country’s geographical location between the Arabian Gulf, Turkey, and Europe to transport increasing quantities of international data.
FIG is intended to link Qatar, Oman, the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iraq with a capacity of up to 720 terabits per second across 24 fibre pairs.
OFN has also struck a landing agreement with the state-owned Iraqi Telecommunications and Post Company (ITPC) to send the undersea cable into Iraq.
From there, iQ Networks’ terrestrial infrastructure will transport connections north across the nation to Turkey and European markets.
According to the firms, the new corridor will serve as an extra route between the Gulf and Europe while also increasing network resilience and capacity.
The need for such infrastructure is fast expanding as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, data centers, telecom operators, and big technology businesses require increasing quantities of international bandwidth.
The deal was signed at the Ooredoo Group’s headquarters in Doha by top Iraqi communications authorities as well as executives from Ooredoo, OFN, ITPC, and iQ Networks.
For Iraq, the initiative is part of a larger attempt to transform its position into an economic benefit by attracting international data traffic that would otherwise utilize other regional routes.
The infrastructure might also help Iraq’s developing digital economy and data center industry, as well as provide new possibilities for foreign traffic passing through the country.
Implementation will continue in accordance with the agreed-upon plan, subject to regulatory and government approval.
The initiative is another step toward establishing Iraq as a digital bridge between Asia, the Arabian Gulf, and Europe, broadening the country’s significance beyond conventional energy and commercial channels.
