The Asian Development Bank (ADB), with the assistance of Deloitte, has developed a master plan for a digital corridor under the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) program. The initiative aims to address the region's critical dependence on a single northern route for internet traffic and meet growing data exchange needs.

According to the study, international bandwidth demand in CAREC countries will grow from 39 Tbps in 2025 to 1,045 Tbps by 2039, a 27-fold increase. Currently, about 57% of regional traffic passes through two countries, with the northern corridor (via Russia) accounting for about 44% of all data transmitted. This creates risks of disruptions and keeps wholesale IP transit tariffs high.

The project involves creating a second independent southern gateway through Pakistan, providing connectivity to the PEACE, 2Africa, and UMO submarine cable systems. Experience from Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan shows that developing alternative routes reduces wholesale IP transit prices by 50–80%.

The project architecture includes four components: construction and modernization of backbone fiber-optic lines (including new cross-border connections), development of a two-tier data center ecosystem, integration of national IXPs into a unified regional peering structure, and harmonization of the regulatory framework.

Financing is expected to use a blended finance scheme involving public-private partnerships, investment consortia, and development institution resources. By 2031, global mobile traffic is expected to grow 2.5 times, and the economic impact of digitalization is projected to reach $12.5 trillion annually by 2030.