Telecom Egypt and Greece-based subsea cable operator Power Sub Link SA (PSL) have signed an agreement to develop a new submarine cable linking Sharm El-Sheikh and Taba, strengthening connectivity between the Red Sea and Mediterranean through Egypt’s established Internet Corridor.
The approximately 200-kilometre repeaterless, high-fibre-count cable is designed to provide a short, fast and secure connectivity route between the two Red Sea landing points. The system will have an estimated design capacity of around 5 petabits per second and is expected to be ready for service in the fourth quarter of 2027.
The agreement was signed in Cairo by Tamer El Mahdi, Managing Director and CEO of Telecom Egypt, and Byron Skaftouros, Managing Director of PSL, in the presence of Egypt’s ICT Minister Raafat Hendy.
The project forms part of Egypt’s broader efforts to expand and diversify its international telecommunications infrastructure. Egypt is a strategically important global digital transit route, carrying an estimated 17% of global internet traffic through its terrestrial and subsea networks.
By establishing an additional eastern digital corridor, the new cable is expected to improve network performance, reduce signal losses and provide additional capacity and route diversity for international carriers and network operators.
The Sharm El-Sheikh–Taba link will extend Telecom Egypt’s existing Red Sea Subsea Festoon Cable System to Taba, creating a continuous subsea route connecting Suez, Zafarana, Ras Ghareb, Sharm El-Sheikh and Taba.
The expansion will add further landing-point options and another subsea route along Egypt’s Red Sea coastline, strengthening network resilience, redundancy and protection against potential connectivity disruptions.
The Taba landing will also create synergies with the existing Coral Bridge subsea cable, developed jointly by Telecom Egypt and Jordan’s NaiTel. The operational system provides a direct digital connection across the Gulf of Aqaba, linking Taba with Jordan’s data infrastructure.
The interconnection of the Sharm El-Sheikh–Taba cable, the extended Red Sea Subsea Festoon system and Coral Bridge is expected to create a broader digital pathway supporting additional connectivity and transit options towards the Levant, Europe and the wider Middle East.
ICT Minister Raafat Hendy said the agreement reflects Egypt’s continued investment in strengthening its digital infrastructure and diversifying international connectivity routes.
“This agreement reflects Egypt’s continued efforts to strengthen its digital infrastructure, enhance the diversity and resilience of its international connectivity routes, and reinforce the country’s role in global digital connectivity,” Hendy said.
He added that the project further strengthens the strategic importance of Sinai within Egypt’s digital infrastructure and supports the country’s ambition to remain a key global connectivity hub between East and West.
Telecom Egypt CEO Tamer El Mahdi said the project forms part of the company’s strategy to expand its role in digital infrastructure and strengthen its regional and international position.
“This project aligns with our new strategy, which aims to maximise the company’s role in digital infrastructure and strengthen its position regionally and internationally,” El Mahdi said.
He described the Sharm El-Sheikh–Taba cable as another significant milestone in the development of Telecom Egypt’s international infrastructure, particularly its growing subsea network across Sinai.
The project highlights the increasing strategic importance of subsea cable diversity, network redundancy and alternative landing routes as global demand for secure, high-capacity international data connectivity continues to grow.
