Telecom Egypt has signed an agreement to construct a 200-kilometre subsea cable linking Sharm El Sheikh and Taba, extending its Red Sea Subsea Festoon Cable System and creating a continuous subsea route along Egypt’s Red Sea and Sinai coast.
The repeaterless, high-fiber-count cable will connect Suez, Zafarana, Ras Ghareb, Sharm El Sheikh and Taba. Designed with a capacity of approximately five petabits per second, the link is expected to be ready for service in the fourth quarter of 2027.
Telecom Egypt expands Red Sea subsea network
The Sharm El Sheikh–Taba link is intended to support connectivity between the Red Sea and Mediterranean through Egypt’s Internet Corridor of Egypt (ICE). The system will use fiber-optic technology designed to reduce signal losses while increasing network capacity and performance.
The project will also provide international carriers and network operators with additional routing options between Asia, Africa and Europe. Telecom Egypt expects the additional subsea path and landing points to strengthen network resilience, redundancy and routing flexibility.
H.E. Raafat Hendy, Minister of Communications and Information Technology: “This agreement reflects Egypt’s continued efforts to strengthen its digital infrastructure and enhance the diversity and resilience of its international connectivity routes and reinforce Egypt's pivotal role in global digital connectivity. The development of the new subsea cable further reinforces the role of Sinai as an important component of Egypt’s digital infrastructure by expanding its subsea and terrestrial infrastructure. The Ministry is committed to strengthening Egypt’s position as a global connectivity hub between East and West, and to continuing the development of its international digital infrastructure to support global data traffic and meet the growing demand for secure, efficient, and diverse international data transmission.”
Sharm El Sheikh–Taba cable targets route diversity
The extended Red Sea Subsea Festoon Cable System will add another subsea route along the coastline and additional landing-point options. The infrastructure is intended to provide greater diversity for international traffic transiting Egypt.
Tamer El Mahdi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Telecom Egypt: “This project aligns with our new strategy, which aims to maximize the Company's role in digital infrastructure and strengthen its position regionally and internationally. The Sharm-Taba cable is another significant milestone in the development of Telecom Egypt’s international infrastructure, particularly its subsea infrastructure in Sinai, strengthening route diversity, resilience, and capacity. It advances a new eastern digital corridor connecting the Red Sea and the Mediterranean through the Sinai Peninsula, reinforcing our strategy of leveraging Egypt’s unique geographic position at the crossroads of three continents. These investments demonstrate Telecom Egypt’s continued commitment to supporting our international partners with secure, resilient, and high-capacity connectivity routes to meet the region’s growing data demand.”
The agreement was signed in Cairo by Tamer El Mahdi and Byron Skaftouros, Managing Director of Power Sub Link (PSL), in the presence of H.E. Raafat Hendy.
Power Sub Link to implement subsea cable
PSL will implement the Sharm El Sheikh–Taba cable under the agreement. The company specializes in subsea installation and marine engineering technologies.
Byron Skaftouros, Managing Director of Power Sub Link: “Together with Telecom Egypt, we are not simply delivering subsea infrastructure; we are helping shape the next generation of global connectivity. By developing a resilient Red Sea bypass, we reinforce Egypt’s position as a strategic gateway between continents, strengthen the security and continuity of international communications, and create new digital corridors of lasting global significance. This is more than connectivity. It is resilience, strategic relevance, and infrastructure built for the future.”
The project is scheduled to enter service in Q4 2027 and forms part of Telecom Egypt’s strategy to expand its subsea infrastructure and increase international connectivity routes through Egypt.
Source: https://africabusinesscommunities.com/tech-24/telecom-egypt-expands-red-sea-subsea-network/
