In response to the increasing demand for data-hungry digital applications like cloud computing and artificial intelligence, Telecom Egypt and NaiTel, a prominent Jordanian telecom service provider and subsidiary of Aqaba Digital Hub (ADH), have successfully installed an express subsea cable. This marks the first direct connection between Egypt and Jordan in a quarter century.
The Coral Bridge, a 15-kilometre undersea cable that boasts 48 fibre pairs, was initially announced in January 2024. It successfully landed in Taba, Egypt, before being laid across the Gulf of Aqaba and reaching its final destination in Aqaba, Jordan.
This new cable aims to provide a high-capacity digital link across the gulf, representing a significant advancement in the region’s digital infrastructure, as Telecom Egypt’s official statement highlights.
Leveraging the strategic locations of both countries and Telecom Egypt’s extensive underwater infrastructure, Coral Bridge facilitates seamless connectivity across Asia, Africa, and Europe, which will greatly benefit local, regional, and global enterprises.
Telecom Egypt emphasises that the cable can handle over one petabit of data traffic, catering to various infrastructure needs. Its relatively short length also contributes to reduced latency and lower data costs.
Coral Bridge is the inaugural telecom subsea system to connect Telecom Egypt’s new cable landing facility in Taba, forming part of the company’s expanded international digital infrastructure.
In Jordan, the cable has landed at ADH’s Tier III carrier-neutral facility in Aqaba, providing redundancy and recovery solutions for local businesses and hyperscalers hosted within the data centre.
Eyad Abu Khorma, founder and CEO of ADH, referred to the cable as a strategic asset for enhancing regional market accessibility. He stated, “Coral Bridge is more than just a cable—it’s a strategic resource for the entire region. It connects at ADH’s carrier-neutral facility in Jordan, boosting market access in one of the largest data centres in the Middle East and North Africa.
“By forming a direct digital link between Aqaba, Jordan, and the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt, we are fortifying regional resilience and unlocking new pathways for high-performance infrastructure and sovereign connectivity.”
Mohamed Nasr, managing director and CEO of Telecom Egypt, remarked, “The geographical proximity of Taba and Aqaba presents a crucial opportunity to establish a strong data connectivity corridor between the Middle East and Europe.
“Working alongside NaiTel and utilising their carrier-neutral environment through the Aqaba Digital Hub, the Coral Bridge subsea cable system will consolidate substantial regional traffic and route it through Egypt’s diverse terrestrial pathways to the Mediterranean.
“This vital infrastructure is essential for addressing the rising data demands of the region, facilitating data centre growth, and enhancing the resilience of subsea cable networks in the area.”
