Picture: Emmanuel Rochas and Norman Albi at Subsea World 2022
Marseille, 12th December 2022: Orange, one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators, and Medusa Submarine Cable System, the Mediterranean subsea neutral and independent infrastructure operator, are joining forces to offer an open and high-performance interconnection solution to all partner operators of the Medusa cable.
Medusa will arrive in Marseille in 2024
8,760 km long, Medusa will be the first and longest submarine cable to connect the main Mediterranean countries. The system will connect the two shores of the Mediterranean and provide access to telecommunication infrastructure that is crucial for developing the digital ecosystem of populations in North African countries, as well as six EU member states (Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Greece, and Cyprus). The investment is expected to have positive impacts on the economy of these countries, which will lead to inclusive and sustainable economic growth.
Medusa is an open system that includes 16 landing points around the Mediterranean Sea. The cable will have segments with up to 24 fiber pairs with a capacity of 20 Tbps per fiber pair. Its festoon architecture gives it a unique design. It is expected Medusa cable reaches Marseille during the last quarter of 2024. The system will be ready for service end of 2024 for the West Med region and first half of 2025 for the East Med region.
Orange invests in new submarine cable landing infrastructure in Marseille to make France more attractive as a digital gateway for global exchanges
Orange, the leading submarine cable landing party in Marseille, is the only operator to have scalable infrastructure in the area of Marseille and to have all the technical expertise required to land and maintain intercontinental submarine cable systems.
Orange is now strengthening its submarine cable access strategy in Marseille with brand new urban infrastructure which route and meshing will increase the resilience and diversity of access and landing points in Marseille, by connecting all the city’s data centers.
Through its sustained work in close collaboration with state and regional services, as well as all local players, Orange offers a unique turnkey solution. Orange will handle all the technical, regulatory, security, and environmental aspects, enabling its partners to enjoy a prime position in Marseille and strengthening France’s attractiveness
By doing this, Orange is enhancing its value proposition to offer every operator around the world access to the capillary connectivity of its international network.
“We are particularly pleased to welcome the Medusa cable to Orange’s infrastructure in the heart of the Mediterranean hub of Marseille, as part of a strategic and ambitious project. By combining our submarine cable landing stations with our new urban infrastructure, we are strengthening Marseille’s attractiveness as a digital gateway to Europe, and beyond that, France’s sovereignty,” explains Michaël Trabbia, interim CEO of Orange Wholesale & International Networks.
Norman Albi, CEO of Medusa, stresses the importance of this agreement:
“Marseille has always been a strategic Mediterranean interconnection point and joining forces with Orange means we can offer a cutting-edge service, against a background of growing needs in the digital economy. With this agreement, all Medusa landings in the western Mediterranean are totally secure and ready to be implemented.”
Orange is a major player in global connectivity and submarine cable markets and continues to invest heavily in international connectivity projects. To guarantee and continue to improve the quality of its international networks, Orange invests in over 40 submarine cables worldwide, representing almost 450,000 km.
About Orange
Orange is one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators with sales of 42.5 billion euros in 2021 and 137,000 employees worldwide at 30 June 2022, including 76,000 employees in France. The Group has a total customer base of 282 million customers worldwide at 30 June 2022, including 236 million mobile customers and 24 million fixed broadband customers. The Group is present in 26 countries. Orange is also a leading provider of global IT and telecommunication services to multinational companies under the brand Orange Business Services. In December 2019, the Group presented its “Engage 2025” strategic plan, which, guided by social and environmental accountability, aims to reinvent its operator model.
While accelerating in growth areas and placing data and AI at the heart of its innovation model, the Group will be an attractive and responsible employer, adapted to emerging professions.
Orange is listed on Euronext Paris (symbol ORA) and on the New York Stock Exchange (symbol ORAN).
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Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trademarks of Orange or Orange Brand Services Limited.
Press Contact
Ibtissame Nafii
ibtissame.nafii@orange.com +33 6 37 38 60 50
About Medusa
Medusa is a private, independent and neutral infrastructure subsea operator in the Mediterranean region, based in Dublin (Ireland).
Medusa Submarine Cable System is a submarine fibre optic system connecting the East and West Mediterranean with the Atlantic Sea, creating a new corridor from Asia to the Atlantic and enabling the regional development of the information Society and its actors. Digital connectivity will provide the basis for economic development in the region. By directly interconnecting Europe and Africa, Medusa will help to address the digital divide.
Medusa is an independent managed company own by AFR-IX telecom.
Press Contact:
Andrea Guinó | aguino@medusascs.com | www.medusascs.com