Telecom Egypt, Egypt’s first integrated telecom operator and one of the largest subsea cable operators in its region, and Grid Telecom, subsidiary of the Independent Power Transmission Operator (IPTO) in Greece, have signed a strategic memorandum of understanding (MoU) to connect Greece and Egypt using submarine cable infrastructure.
It's early days yet but, as the announcement of the MoU indicates, this strategic agreement lays the groundwork for the exploration of different connectivity options between Greece and Egypt. It also implies a closer look at the optimal utilisation of what is described as Telecom Egypt’s and Grid Telecom’s state-of-the-art networks and international reach, with reference to their existing and future optical interconnectivity to neighbouring countries.
Telecom Egypt’s international network extends to over 140 landing points in more than 60 countries across the globe. The company has invested extensively in its submarine cable infrastructure, which is the shortest and most reliable crossing path between Africa, Asia and Europe, making Telecom Egypt an attractive partner for many international telecom players over the years.
As for the Greek side of the MoU, with a domestic fibre optic network currently exceeding 4,000 km, Grid Telecom, IPTO’s vehicle in the telecommunications market, is already offering diverse fibre connectivity between the island of Crete and the Greek mainland, in addition to its network infrastructure in Italy, the Balkans, and Central Europe, leveraging its position as a major, carrier-neutral hub in Europe.
What happens next is not easy to predict but there are clearly high hopes for the post-MoU period. As the minister of digital governance of Greece, Kyriakos Pierrakakis, said: “This is an important agreement between Grid Telecom and Telecom Egypt as the cables' route enables connecting points of presence in our countries and across continents, and also secures the exponential growth of our respective digital markets.”
