TEHRAN, July 12 -- President Khatami, speaking here Monday at an inauguration ceremony for Iran's national fiber optic network, said the project is a pivotal point of a digitized Silk Road, the Islamic Republic News Agency reported. The network will cover 900 cities and 56,000 km, at a projected cost of 6,600 billion rials (about $73 million). Two direct connecting points to the international networks have been established in Chahbahar, Sistan and Baluchestan province and in Bandar Abbas, Hormozgan province. Nexans was awarded a contract in June to supply submarine and land fiber optic cable for the network, as well as cable accessories to create a new telecommunications link between Kuwait and Iran. The contract, which includes branches to Failakah (Kuwait) and Kharg (Iran) islands and the Soroush oil platform, was awarded by Emirates Telecommunications & Marine Services FZE (e-marine), who are constructing the link on behalf of Kuwait's Ministry of Communications (MOC) and the Telecommunications Company of Iran (TCI). The total system route is approximately 380 km straight across the Persian Gulf from Kuwait City to Ganaveh in Iran, including land cables in both countries, Iran Daily reported. For more information, visit: www.irna.ir