Due to its strategic geographical position, straddling 3 continents, Egypt is a preferred destination for owners of submarine cables. The historic operator Telecom Egypt is moving towards its ambition to become the leader in connectivity services in the region.
The telecommunications company Telecom Egypt signed, on Wednesday, October 4, a partnership memorandum of understanding with the Hungarian IT service management company 4iG. Both sides committed to building a high-capacity submarine fiber optic cable connecting Egypt and Albania.
“ With an open access model and multiple diversion units, the system is designed to be a new entry point for European traffic with a different transit passage compared to the already existing Mediterranean routes to the main points of Internet presence (PoP) such as those in Frankfurt, in addition to numerous potential PoPs in Eastern Europe ,” explained 4iG in a press release.
This partnership comes days after Telecom Egypt signed an agreement with Medusa Submarine Cable System to extend the Medusa submarine fiber optic cable from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea.
These initiatives are part of the historic operator’s desire to establish itself as an international reference in the provision of high-speed connectivity services. Taking advantage of Egypt’s unique position between Africa, Europe and Asia, the company attracts collaborations with the main players in the sector regarding international infrastructures such as submarine cables or centers of data.
According to official statistics, Egypt is already connected to 14 international submarine cables and work is underway to establish five new cables. Additionally, Telecom Egypt is the partner of choice for submarine cable deployment for more than 160 companies around the world.
“ The cooperation with 4iG is a step that will pave the way for adding a new focal point and a new entrance to the European continent in Albania, in order to add flexibility and direct traffic from the African continents and Asian to the main concentration points of telecommunications traffic in the East ,” said Mohamed Nasr, general director of Telecom Egypt.