Submarine cable deployments are crucial strategic endeavors aimed at enhancing Europe’s connectivity and enabling its transformation into a Global Data Gateway that boasts robust interconnections both within the continent and with other parts of the world.

While there are several submarine cables traversing the Mediterranean Sea, primarily intended for intercontinental connections, these cables typically connect with only a limited number of Mediterranean European Data Ports, particularly in Marseille and Sicily. In this context, this project, based on technical studies to be completed within its scope, will deploy 3 fibre pairs of submarine optical lines connecting the landing points of Lisbon, Marseille, Barcelona, and Nador (Morocco).

The participating countries will benefit from advanced high-speed, high-quality, and low-latency connectivity, and they will become integral parts of the broader Medusa Submarine Cable System. This novel endeavor will play a significant role in creating the Mediterranean Data Gateway, positioning Europe as a central player within the global data framework. The aim of this project is to address this gap by supplementing the continental cables with local and regional solutions that span the Mediterranean Sea. This effort will establish resilient networks to enhance European connectivity, providing the capability to meet future demand while eliminating redundancy issues in the region. Notably, this new submarine connection will be the first to unite all these countries within the same network, offering high-speed, high- quality, and low-latency connectivity.

Additionally, the project will play a pivotal role in contributing to the Mediterranean Data Gateway by linking two of the most critical data ports in Europe with the principal data port in North Africa, located in Nador. The initiative will introduce an open access smart cable, allowing third parties to utilize the existing network infrastructure with 10X-20X more capacity. This innovation will facilitate point-to-point connectivity and considerably reduce maintenance requirements. In the long-term, this project aspires to revolutionize digital connectivity across the Mediterranean and beyond, bringing about a range of benefits that will significantly impact the region’s digital, social, and economic landscapes.