By: Nana
Appiah Acquaye
Telecom Egypt and
Greece-based Power Sub Link S.A. (PSL) have signed an agreement to develop a
new 200-kilometre subsea cable linking Sharm El-Sheikh and Taba, a project
expected to strengthen Egypt’s international connectivity and enhance its role
as a global digital transit hub.
The agreement was signed by
Telecom Egypt Managing Director and CEO Tamer El Mahdi and PSL Managing
Director Byron Skaftouros in the presence of Minister of Communications and
Information Technology Raafat Hendy.
Designed to provide a short,
fast and secure data route between Sharm El-Sheikh and Taba, the cable will
contribute to completing an eastern digital corridor linking the Red Sea and
Mediterranean through the Sinai Peninsula. It will connect with Egypt’s Internet
Corridor (ICE) via Al-Morshedeen Road.
The cable will have a high
fibre count and a design capacity of up to approximately 5 petabits,
incorporating advanced fibre-optic technologies to increase transmission
capacity, improve network performance and provide greater route diversity for
international subsea cable operators.
The cable is expected to
enter service in the fourth quarter of 2027.
The project will extend
Telecom Egypt’s Red Sea Festoon network to Taba and provide additional subsea
connectivity to cable landing stations in Suez, Zafarana, Ras Ghareb and Sharm
El-Sheikh.
Telecom Egypt said the
expansion will strengthen route diversity and network resilience while helping
secure international data traffic moving through Egypt and strengthening
connectivity between Asia, Africa and Europe.
Minister Hendy said the
agreement reflects Egypt’s continued efforts to strengthen its digital
infrastructure and diversify and enhance the resilience of its international
connectivity routes.
He said the development of
the subsea cable would further reinforce Sinai’s role within Egypt’s digital
infrastructure by expanding both its subsea and terrestrial connectivity.
Hendy added that the
Ministry remains committed to strengthening Egypt’s position as a global
connectivity hub between East and West and developing international digital
infrastructure capable of supporting rising demand for secure, efficient and
diverse data transmission.
Under the agreement, PSL
will undertake construction of the cable, drawing on its expertise in subsea
cable engineering and advanced marine infrastructure.
El Mahdi said the project is
aligned with Telecom Egypt’s strategy of maximising its role in digital
infrastructure and strengthening its regional and international position.
He described the Sharm
El-Sheikh–Taba cable as another milestone in the development of Telecom Egypt’s
international infrastructure, particularly its subsea network in Sinai, by
adding capacity, resilience and alternative connectivity routes.
El Mahdi said the company
was also advancing an eastern digital corridor connecting the Red Sea and
Mediterranean through Sinai, leveraging Egypt’s geographical position at the
crossroads of Africa, Asia and Europe.
PSL CEO Byron Skaftouros
said the partnership goes beyond deploying subsea infrastructure, describing
the project as part of efforts to develop the next generation of global
connectivity.
He said the resilient Red
Sea bypass would strengthen Egypt’s role as a strategic gateway between
continents, improve the security and continuity of international communications
and create new digital corridors with long-term global significance.
