Press Release

Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN), Elettra Tlc, Medusa and Orange are pleased to announce the coming into force of the construction contract for the Medusa Submarine Cable System. This milestone marks the start of an ambitious project that will boost connectivity across the Mediterranean.

Medusa will establish crucial connections between Morocco, Portugal, Spain, France, Algeria, Tunisia, Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Egypt. The subsystem named Via Tunisia, part of the Medusa Cable, linking France and Tunisia, is cofunded by the European Union under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) program, as already announced by Orange.When complete, Medusa will span an impressive distance of over 8,700 kilometers, making it the longest cable in the Mediterranean Sea and providing enhanced North-South and East-West connectivity.

The construction has been awarded to industry leaders ASN and Elettra Tlc. The Medusa system is built on stateof-the-art 24-pair fiber optic Open Cable technology to meet increasing broadband requirements in the region, with 20Tb/s minimum capacity per fiber pair.

Elettra Tlc will promptly engage survey operations, while equipment manufacturing and installation are planned to span over 2024 and 2025. Orange will provide landing infrastructures in France, Tunisia and Morocco.

By connecting North Africa and Southern Europe, as well as several of the Mediterranean islands to the mainland, including Sicily, Crete and Cyprus, the Medusa submarine cable system will create unprecedented opportunities for collaboration, innovation and economic development. It will also provide an effective bridge between the Mediterranean and Atlantic regions, facilitating increased communication and cooperation across all these areas.

Medusa is committed to reducing the digital divide and this construction is an important step towards achieving this goal.

The construction of Medusa is funded by AFR-IX Telecom, Orange and the European Union though CEF (Connecting Europe Facilities) grants.

This collaboration highlights the commitment of industry leaders and governmental organizations to contribute to a more connected and prosperous future for the Mediterranean region.

Norman Albi, CEO of Medusa, highlights the strategic value of Medusa to improve connectivity in the Mediterranean: “We have been working for more than 3 years to reach this point and we are tremendously grateful to all those who, from early stages, supported Medusa: collaborating companies and European institutions. Thanks to the support of North African Operators, financial institutions and leading companies such as ASN, Elettra Tlc, Orange and AFR-IX Telecom, Medusa will be in service the 4th quarter of 2025”

Paul Gabla, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer of ASN said “The Medusa submarine cable system marks a major step forward in telecommunications infrastructure. ASN is honored to be at the forefront of this ambitious project, which will bring high-speed Internet connectivity and seamless communication to the region, unlocking a world of opportunities for businesses, communities and individuals throughout the Mediterranean region.”

Didier Dillard, President and CEO of Elettra Tlc said “We are very happy to be in charge of the marine works for the first phase of the MEDUSA project, the marine survey and the installation. Elettra Tlc is a true Mediterranean company that has installed and repaired a very large number of cables in this area, and we are excited to contribute to the construction of this future telecommunications backbone of the Mediterranean Sea.”

“Orange is delighted to put its leadership and industry expertise in the construction of this new system that will foster digital exchanges between Europe and North Africa and to welcome Medusa into its carrier neutral infrastructures in Marseille” said Aurélien Vigano, Vice President International Transmission Networks at Orange.

The submarine cable ecosystem is evolving. Join the cable operators and the wider connectivity industry in discussion at Submarine Networks EMEA 2024

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The deal will see the Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation provide fixed broadband and voice services to consumers and businesses across the country

This week, Australian telecoms giant Telstra has unveiled a new partnership with SpaceX’s LEO satellite constellation Starlink, aiming to deliver home phone and broadband services for remote customers.

Telstra says the satellite connectivity services will expand the connectivity options available for hard-to-reach businesses and consumers, in some cases providing them broadband access for the first time.

For the operator, many of these areas are considered economically unviable when it comes to rolling out traditional, terrestrial connectivity solutions.

“Telstra is always looking to invest in new and better connectivity options for our customers. We know that collaborating with the right partners is one of the best ways to help unlock a digital future, in this case for people in rural and remote Australia looking for an improved voice or broadband service,” said Telstra CEO Vicki Brady. “Our teams have been out across the country testing and trialling Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite technology to ensure we understand where it’s the best solution for our consumer and business customers.

Telstra says these satellite packages will provide faster speeds than existing Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line broadband technology and can delivered alongside “local tech support and the option of professional installation” to ease the transition to the new services.

According to a company blog post, these services using Starlink are expected to launch “towards the end of 2023”.

SpaceX has currently launched over 4,000 satellites into orbit, with the ultimate goal of deploying around 12,000 devices. The company has launched commercially in numerous markets over the last few years, recording major deals with operators such as T-Mobile, BT, and KDDI.

However, some markets remain problematic for the Elon Musk company, most notably India, where SpaceX is currently battling the government for an operating licence.

It should also be noted that while Starlink is by far the largest LEO satellite operator right now, the sector is rapidly growing more competitive. Rival satellite operators like OneWeb and Telesat are continuing to expand their constellations, while major upcoming satellite projects like the European Union’s IRIS2 and Amazon’s Project Kuiper will offer further challenge to SpaceX’s dominance.

Indeed, just last month, Telstra themselves struck a mobile backhaul deal with OneWeb, aiming to transfer the capacity from hundreds of remote base stations onto the growing constellation over the coming year.

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The deal will see Telenor’s Finnish subsidiary DNA supplied with 85 GWh/year of renewable energy from Statkraft’s new wind farm

This week, Telenor has struck a new 10-year onshore wind power purchase agreement (PPA) with Europe’s largest renewable energy generator Statkraft.

The deal will provide Telenor’s Finnish subsidiary DNA with 85 GWh/year of renewable energy, provisioning roughly 80% of the company’s annual energy consumption.

The power will be provided by Statkraft’s new wind farm, Palokangas, which is currently under development in Finland’s westernmost region, Ostrobothnia. The site will feature 12 wind turbines, which parent company Exilion Tuuli suggesting will be ready for service at the end of 2024.

“Telenor wants to support the construction of new renewable power plants in the markets we operate, and this agreement provides a solid contribution to the decarbonization of the electricity supply, as well as new capacity to hedge against volatile energy prices,” says Jannicke Hilland, Executive Vice President for Telenor Infrastructure at Telenor Group.

The financial details of the deal were not revealed.

Telenor says this deal marks another significant step in its goal towards reducing its Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 57% between 2019 and 2030.

The Group aims for its Nordic businesses to be entirely carbon neutral by 2030, while its Asian businesses have slightly less ambitious targets, aiming simply for a 50% reduction in emissions in 2030 from a 2019 baseline.

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