Egypt’s Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) recently announced that Telecom Egypt signed an agreement with the Albanian 4IG group. The agreement seeks to establish the first express subsea cable linking Egypt, Albania, the Balkan region, and eastern and central Europe.
According to the ministry, this cable creates a new sea route in the Mediterranean and a new linking point to the European continent. Hence, it aims to accommodate the significant growth in the volume of international data movement between the East and the West. Notably, the agreements include a joint venture between Telecom Egypt and 4IG for the intercontinental subsea cable project.
International digital infrastructure
4IG’s chairman, Gellért Jászai, and Telecom Egypt’s managing director and CEO, Mohamed Nasr, signed the agreement in Budapest, Hungary. This cooperation enhances the relations between Egypt and Albania that have existed for a century. The most important feature of this cooperation is that it comes within the framework of working to implement a strategy targeting the eastern European region to enhance business continuity and future expansions.
Dr. Amr Talaat, minister of Communications and Information Technology, stressed Egypt’s keenness to expand its international digital infrastructure. Besides, over 90 percent of the international data traffic between the East and the West passes through the country. Additionally, there are 14 international subsea cables currently in service in Egypt. Work is also underway to establish 5 additional international subsea cables through international alliances
Read: stc users exceed 16 million following Riyadh Season launch
Promoting international data traffic
The new express subsea cable from Telecom Egypt contributes to diversifying the current international data traffic routes between Egypt and Europe. It will act as a new entrance point to the European continent in the Western Balkans. Moreover, it will reach the main Internet centers in Western Europe through multiple ground networks. Furthermore, Telecom Egypt and the 4IG also agreed to design the cable in a way that supports access to multiple points in the Mediterranean basin.
Under this agreement, Telecom Egypt will provide connectivity services for a variety of subsea cables coming from Asia and Africa through the Red Sea. In addition, it will provide transit routes on the international land network, which includes more than 10 land routes crossing Egypt.
On Albania’s end, the system will provide the shortest path to Frankfurt, as well as other important international traffic destinations in Eastern and Central Europe and the Balkans, such as Sofia, Vienna, and Budapest.
For more news on telecom, click here.
