OFN signs dark fibre agreement with iQ Networks to advance Iraq transit corridor FIG landing partnership with ITPC

Ooredoo Group's international connectivity arm, OFN, and iQ Networks, an Iraqi fibre-optic infrastructure provider, have formed a partnership to purchase dark fibre pairs for transit connectivity across Iraq. This agreement, combined with OFN's FIG landing arrangement with the Iraqi Telecommunications and Post Company (ITPC), aims to develop an integrated subsea and terrestrial connectivity corridor through Iraq towards Turkey and Europe.

The FIG subsea cable system and the OFN-iQ Networks partnership will provide a supplementary geographical route for international data traffic, enhance route diversity, and allow customers to scale transmission capacity as needed. The infrastructure will cater to the increasing demands of AI providers, hyperscalers, cloud providers, content companies, data centers, and telecom operators.

OFN's CEO, Khalid Hassan Al Hammadi, emphasized that this agreement advances a more resilient connectivity proposition for international customers by combining FIG's subsea capacity with iQ Networks' terrestrial infrastructure. The FIG project is being developed as the largest subsea cable system in the Gulf Cooperation Council, with up to 720 Tbps of capacity across 24 fibre pairs, connecting multiple GCC countries through a single high-capacity loop.

The FIG landing arrangement with ITPC supports the planned subsea system's landing in Iraq, complementing the OFN-iQ Networks agreement to connect FIG's subsea infrastructure with dark fibre transit across Iraq, ultimately supporting an integrated international connectivity route towards Turkey and Europe.