Pishgaman Oman Iran (POI) Network

Overview

The Pishgaman Oman Iran (POI) Network is a regional submarine cable system spanning approximately 400 km across the Gulf of Oman corridor. It connects Iran and Oman, providing a direct bilateral link between these two neighboring countries. Owned and operated by Pishgaman Kavir, the cable represents one of the shorter systems in the broader Arabian Sea region.

Route and Landings

In Iran, the cable lands at two points: Chabahar and Jask, both located along the country's southeastern coastline on the Gulf of Oman.

In Oman, the cable lands at Barka, situated on the country's northern coast along the Gulf of Oman.

Ownership and Operators

The Pishgaman Oman Iran Network is solely owned by Pishgaman Kavir, an Iranian telecommunications infrastructure company. As a single-owner system, it differs from the consortium-based arrangements common among larger regional cables in this corridor.

Status and Timeline

The cable entered service in 2012 and has been operational for approximately 14 years. It continues to serve as a live connection between its Iranian and Omani landing points.

Regional Context

The Gulf of Oman corridor is served by a range of submarine cables of varying scale. Among those touching Oman, systems such as 2Africa, Asia Africa Europe-1 (AAE-1), SeaMeWe-6, Europe India Gateway (EIG), FALCON, and the MENA Cable System range in length from around 8,000 km to over 45,000 km — connecting Oman into broader intercontinental networks across Africa, Europe, and Asia. The POI Network, at 400 km, is considerably shorter than the majority of cables in this corridor, exceeding only 17% of the other systems that touch the same countries, reflecting its purpose as a focused bilateral link rather than a long-haul transit route.

FALCON, which also connects Iran and Oman, provides an example of a longer multi-country cable serving a similar geographic pairing. Oman hosts 11 submarine cables across 6 landing points, underscoring its position as a well-connected hub in the region; Iran, by contrast, has a more limited submarine cable footprint with 5 systems across 5 landing points.

Measured performance over the last 60 days, based on 35 ping tests, shows an average round-trip latency of 66.2 ms, with a best recorded latency of 11.8 ms.

Strategic Role

The Pishgaman Oman Iran Network provides a direct submarine connection between two of Iran's southeastern coastal cities and Oman's northern shoreline. Its relatively compact length and bilateral focus distinguish it from the large intercontinental systems that also land in Oman. By serving both Chabahar and Jask on the Iranian side, the cable extends submarine connectivity to more than one Iranian landing point, distributing access along a stretch of Iran's Gulf of Oman coastline.