Telecom Egypt and Medusa Submarine Cable Extend Network to Red Sea
By Srikapardhi, TelecomTalk
October 2, 2023
Telecom Egypt and Medusa Submarine Cable System have signed an agreement to extend Medusa to the Red Sea. The joint statement noted that the 8,760 km long submarine cable, which will land in the Egyptian city of Port Said by the end of 2025, will be connected to the Red Sea landing stations of Suez, Zafarana, and Ras Ghareb through Telecom Egypt's extensive terrestrial crossing network.
Direct Mediterranean to Red Sea Access
The agreement was signed during the Submarine Networks World event that took place in Singapore.
“The new connection will enable direct access of all the Medusa Mediterranean landings in Europe and North Africa to the Red Sea. This will provide more diverse and efficient connectivity to the whole world, and will further enhance Egypt's position as a global digital hub,” said the statement.
Telecom Egypt is Egypt's first integrated telecom operator and one of the largest subsea cables operators in the region. Medusa Submarine Cable System is a neutral and independent Mediterranean submarine infrastructure operator.
Telecom Egypt, said: “We are pleased to host the Medusa submarine cable system in our subsea cable infrastructure. This new agreement provides additional connectivity solutions and increases diversity in the submarine cable infrastructure reaching the Red Sea, marking a significant milestone in the industry.”
High-Capacity Network
Telecom Egypt and AFR-IX Telecom signed an initial agreement in March 2022 to land Medusa at the Port Said station. With this Medusa will connect ten countries in Africa and Europe – Portugal, Morocco, Spain, France, Algeria, Tunisia, Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Egypt – through its landing points.
Strategic Location
Medusa, with cable segments capable of housing up to 24 fibre pairs, each capable of transmitting 20 Gbps, will become operational in the Western Mediterranean in 2025 and is expected to enhance Egypt's standing as a vital connection point between Asia, Africa, and Europe. This high capacity will contribute to the network's efficiency and reliability.
