Orange to Launch ViaTunisia Segment of Medusa Submarine Cable
Orange announced on Wednesday the operational availability of the ViaTunisia segment of the Medusa submarine cable connecting Marseille to Bizerte. This infrastructure, co-financed by the European Union, enhances connectivity between Southern Europe and North Africa.
A 25-Year Operational Cable
The ViaTunisia segment has reached the 'Ready for Service' (RFS) stage, marking the transition from construction to full operational availability. Designed as a point-to-point open system with a lifespan of 25 years, the cable has completed all project phases: maritime studies, factory compliance testing, loading, laying, landing, and final splicing. The maritime operations were carried out by Orange Marine's Sophie Germain and Elettra TLC's Teliri, under the coordination of Elettra TLC. Alcatel Submarine Networks was responsible for the system design and equipment supply.
European Funding Covering 30% of Costs
ViaTunisia was co-financed by the European Union under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF Digital) program. The grant agreement, signed in December 2022, funded 30% of the construction and project management costs. This support highlights the European Union's commitment to enhancing digital connectivity to support data traffic growth driven by digital transformation and artificial intelligence.
Integration into Orange's Marseille Infrastructure
ViaTunisia is directly integrated into Orange's infrastructure in Marseille, through a fully redundant urban fiber optic loop connecting all the city's data centers. This architecture allows for smooth interconnection and provides direct, high-capacity connectivity between North Africa and the digital world. The system enhances network resilience by multiplying routing options, particularly in regions prone to natural disasters, in order to reduce interruptions caused by cable breaks.
