Armenia and Azerbaijan Agree to Exchange Internet Traffic, Signing Landmark Deal to Route Data Through Each Other’s Territories

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Armenian telecommunications provider Telecom Armenia and Azerbaijani backbone operator AzerTelecom have signed a commercial agreement to exchange and transit internet traffic through each other’s territories.

The deal creates a new digital link between Armenia and Azerbaijan, two neighboring countries that have remained politically divided for decades, while opening additional telecommunications routes across the South Caucasus.

According to Telecom Armenia, the agreement will allow the company to expand the geographic reach of its international internet transit services by providing connectivity to Azerbaijan through its own infrastructure. The company said the arrangement is meant at diversifying regional communication routes, strengthening network resilience, and promoting cooperation within the telecommunications sector.

AzerTelecom, one of Azerbaijan’s largest backbone internet operators, confirmed that it will also provide internet transit toward Armenia through its network. The company described the agreement as a step toward improving regional connectivity, increasing the reliability of telecommunications infrastructure, and fostering industry cooperation.

The agreement is significant beyond the telecommunications sector. Experts say the project could enhance digital resilience for both countries by creating additional internet pathways and reducing dependence on existing routes.

Information security specialist Samvel Martirosyan noted that the fiber-optic connection offers strategic advantages for both Armenia and Azerbaijan. While Armenia gains an additional backup route for internet traffic, Azerbaijan benefits from improved connectivity, particularly in maintaining links with its exclave of Nakhijevan.

“Two fiber-optic cables connected to Azerbaijan will pass through Armenia,” Martirosyan said, emphasizing the mutual nature of the arrangement.

Telecom Armenia has previously reported that only a small portion of the traffic carried through its backbone network originates within Armenia itself, with the majority consisting of international transit traffic, including data flows from the Middle East.

Martirosyan also suggested that the agreement could strengthen Armenia’s ambitions to become a regional digital hub. As new international routes emerge, including planned traffic flows from Central Asia, Armenia may increasingly position itself as part of a broader East-West telecommunications corridor connecting Europe, the Caucasus, and Asia.

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