Iraq Sells 1st Cross-Border Internet Transit Capacity

Iraq has for the first time marketed cross-border internet transit capacity to Qatari company Gulf Bridge International (GBI), using the 'Civilisations Route' project stretching from Al Fao to Rabia.

According to the Ministry of Communications, the agreement was concluded under an Indefeasible Right of Use (IRU) model, under which fibre-optic strands from the network are leased on a long-term basis. The ministry said it is the first time this model has been adopted in Iraq's history.

The Faw-Rabia corridor connects data traffic arriving from Asia and the Persian Gulf towards Europe overland via Turkey, reducing latency compared with traditional undersea routes. The ministry noted that enquiries from GCC states have been received since approximately one week ago, and that it has received the first payment in hard currency.