Medusa Cable Arrival Announced in Benghazi

Souma Harb, Libyan News Agency
October 18, 2026

The arrival of the Medusa submarine cable in Benghazi was announced at O3's launch ceremony on Saturday, October 17, 2026, according to the Libyan News Agency (LANA). In a report published October 18, LANA said the announcement concerned a connection linking Libya to an international telecommunications network across the Mediterranean. The Benghazi announcement marks a distinct development for Medusa in eastern Libya, although the reported arrival does not establish that the cable has been commissioned or that services are operational.

Alongside the submarine cable announcement, O3 outlined plans for a 16,000-kilometer fiber-optic network and a Tier III data center. Those proposals place the Benghazi arrival within a broader telecommunications infrastructure program rather than an isolated subsea connection. O3 chairman Faisal Gergab said the company ultimately wants its network to extend across borders into Chad, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, and the Central African Republic. These connections remain stated project objectives, not operating links, and indicate the regional reach O3 intends to pursue through its planned infrastructure development.

According to the Libyan Technology Foundation, Medusa belongs to a wider Mediterranean telecommunications cable system and could increase Libya's international capacity while diversifying data routes. For eastern Libya, an additional Mediterranean connection could broaden the available paths for international traffic, with its eventual value depending on how it is integrated with onward networks. O3's proposed domestic fiber network and cross-border objectives help explain the announcement's wider significance: international connectivity can support regional connections, but the Benghazi arrival alone does not confirm that those routes or associated services are available.

The confirmed current status is therefore an arrival announcement in Benghazi, with O3's next stated service milestones still ahead. O3's timetable calls for trial 5G operations before 2026 ends, followed by a second-quarter 2027 target for commercial service. Those targets should be distinguished from confirmation that Medusa itself is ready for service. LANA's report does not confirm a Tripoli landing. For now, the announcement establishes Benghazi's place in the reported development, while O3's planned trial and commercial rollout remain the next stated milestones.

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