Telecom Egypt and EXA Infrastructure have announced a strategic partnership aimed at reshaping East-to-West traffic flows entering the Mediterranean and reinforcing Egypt’s pivotal role as a global telecommunications hub. This collaboration signifies a significant step forward in bolstering digital infrastructure initiatives and expanding connectivity options in the region.
Telecom Egypt, known as one of the largest subsea cable operators in the area, joins forces with EXA Infrastructure, a prominent European fiber backbone and transatlantic subsea cable infrastructure provider. The partnership aims to address recent challenges posed by subsea cable attacks, particularly in the Red Sea and Northern Europe, which have exacerbated outages across Western Africa and affected at least nine countries reliant on a single cable.
In response to these challenges, ETNO has advocated for comprehensive reforms in permitting procedures to safeguard the European Union’s security. This includes streamlining installation, repair, and decommissioning processes for submarine cables and establishing a one-stop-shop approach to facilitate coordination between operators and public agencies.
With the signing of this partnership, executives from Telecom Egypt and EXA Infrastructure have committed to ushering in a new era of cooperation to support digital infrastructure initiatives. EXA Infrastructure will serve as a pivotal one-stop-shop for routing traffic from the Middle East and Asia into Europe, leveraging multi-route solutions and protected capacity options via Telecom Egypt’s WeConnect infrastructure.
WeConnect, introduced by Telecom Egypt in September 2023, provides agile access to Egypt’s extensive subsea cable network, facilitating seamless navigation between cable systems in the Mediterranean and Red Sea.
Dr. Amr Talaat, Egypt’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology, underscored the significance of the agreement, stating that it marks a crucial milestone in Egypt’s efforts to position itself as a global digital corridor for data. He emphasised the government’s commitment to expanding international digital infrastructure to meet the growing demand for internet services globally.
Mohamed Nasr, Managing Director and CEO of Telecom Egypt, highlighted the partnership’s benefits for customers, enabling them to route traffic from Egypt to various points in Europe via Telecom Egypt’s Mediterranean cable landing stations. Leveraging the WeConnect ecosystem, which encompasses 19 subsea systems, customers can seamlessly extend their reach to major points of presence in Europe through EXA Infrastructure’s extensive network.
Nick Read, Executive Chairman at EXA Infrastructure, expressed excitement about the collaboration, emphasising the pivotal role partnerships will play in scaling infrastructure to accommodate the exponential growth in data traffic. By combining Telecom Egypt’s expertise in managing traffic from the Middle East and Asia with EXA Infrastructure’s modern infrastructure and expansive network, the partnership aims to meet the evolving connectivity needs of the digital age.
