Telecom Egypt (TE) and Grid Telecom signed on Tuesday an agreement to connect Greece and Egypt by extending a branch from a major subsea cable system, which is currently being laid across the Mediterranean Sea. The agreement was signed at Telecom Egypt in Cairo, according to TE statement.
It signed by Adel Hamed, managing director and CEO of Telecom Egypt; Manos Manousakis, Chairman and CEO of Independent Power Transmission Operator (IPTO); and George Psyrris, Director of Grid Telecom.
The planned connectivity between Egypt and Greece will serve the increasing data traffic between Africa, Asia and Europe. It will create a new reliable telecommunications corridor interconnecting the three continents. It will be the shortest possible path crossing the Mediterranean Sea to reach the Balkans region as well as other important destinations like Genoa and Marseilles over hybrid terrestrial and submarine networks.
In the beginning of this year, in February, Telecom Egypt and Grid Telecom signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Athens. It had set the ground for the exploration of different connectivity options between Greece and Egypt. It also will optimal use Telecom Egypt’s and Grid Telecom’s state-of-the-art networks and international reach, through their existing and future optical fibre links to neighbouring countries.
“With the increasing demand for connectivity regionally and around the globe, Telecom Egypt is working on improving and extending its international network and continuously investing in new cables. Our collaboration with Grid Telecom will increase our network’s resiliency and reach.” Hamed, commented.
“The Southeast Mediterranean incubates major synergies that will contribute to the wider region’s emergence as a significant hub for both data and energy. In this context, with the fact that Egypt is a key hub location for all subsea cables from East to West, we are very pleased that the cooperation between IPTO’s subsidiary Grid Telecom and Telecom Egypt, will bring a new international route that will enhance the strategic role of Crete island as a neutral open-access node on the intersection of three continents.” Manousakis, said.
