Telecom Egypt, in collaboration with SubCom, a leading supplier of subsea data systems, has completed two landings of the Southeast Asia-Middle East-Western Europe 6 (SEA-ME-WE-6) subsea cable system in Egypt. The landings took place at Port Said, situated along the Mediterranean coast, and Ras Ghareb on the Red Sea.
To link these two coastal landing sites, Telecom Egypt has established diverse and resilient terrestrial crossing routes, marking a significant milestone in the deployment of the SEA-ME-WE-6 subsea cable in Egypt.
This achievement marks a significant advancement in the cable system’s expansion, aimed at enhancing connectivity throughout the region. The SEA-ME-WE-6 is the latest iteration of the SEA-ME-WE cable system series, linking Singapore (Tuas) to France (Marseille) through Egypt. SubCom is tasked with the construction of this subsea cable system.
As stated by Telecom Egypt, the completed SEA-ME-WE-6 cable system will play a vital role in connecting Africa, Asia, and Europe through its 17 landing points, significantly bolstering global network infrastructure.
Spanning 21,700 kilometres, the consortium for this system includes 16 prominent subsea cable providers, including Telecom Egypt, BEYON B.S.C (Bahrain), Bangladesh Submarine Cables PLC, Bharti Airtel Ltd. (India), China United Network Communications Group, Dhiraagu (Maldives), Djibouti Telecom, Microsoft (United States), Mobily (Saudi Arabia), Orange (France), PCCW Global, Singtel (Singapore), Sri Lanka Telecom, Telekom Malaysia, Telin (Indonesia), and Trans World Associates (Pakistan).
Mohamed Nasr, Managing Director and CEO of Telecom Egypt, remarked on the significance of these two landings: “They establish a vital connection between the Red Sea and Mediterranean segments of the cable through two unique and diversified terrestrial routes in Egypt. The Eurasia route linking Southeast Asia and Europe has historically proven essential for carrying critical telecommunications traffic.”
He continued, “We remain committed to developing new routes connecting Singapore and Egypt, enhancing diversity, marine paths, and the necessary capacity. These strategic landings reflect our dedication to helping countries in the region realize their digital objectives by investing in a robust, resilient, and future-ready network that serves the global subsea community.”
David Coughlan, President and CEO of SubCom, praised Telecom Egypt and its consortium partners for the successful landings of SEA-ME-WE-6 at Port Said and Ras Ghareb, describing it as a significant achievement toward the full deployment of this extensive undersea cable system. He noted, “From engineering and route design to manufacturing and installation, SubCom has been instrumental in bringing SEA-ME-WE-6 to fruition for its operators and their customers. Our team looks forward to the upcoming milestones associated with this impressive project.”
