The Medusa submarine fiber optic cable system, owned by AFR-IX Telecom, has reached a major milestone with its first landing in Marseille, France, initiating the rollout of one of the most ambitious connectivity projects across the Mediterranean region. This marks the beginning of a new digital corridor linking Southern Europe and North Africa, aimed at transforming regional communications and economic integration.
The first segment of the project will connect Marseille to Bizerte, Tunisia, and Nador, Morocco, with landings scheduled between late October and December 2025. The system’s first phase is expected to become operational by early 2026, paving the way for additional landings throughout the year as the cable extends its footprint across the Mediterranean.
Spanning approximately 8,700 kilometers, the Medusa system will feature 19 landing points across 12 countries, including Portugal, Morocco, Spain, France, Algeria, Tunisia, Italy, Malta, Libya, Greece, Cyprus, and Egypt. Designed with a capacity of up to 24 fiber pairs—each supporting 20 Tbps—Medusa will be a critical enabler of high-speed data exchange between continents.
Beyond the Mediterranean, the network will expand toward the Atlantic Ocean via Portugal and the Red Sea through Aqaba, Jordan, with further plans to extend to Sub-Saharan Africa by 2028, beginning with a landing in Gabon.
Marseille, already a key European digital hub with multiple data centers and submarine cable interconnections, serves as a strategic anchor point for the project.
“By bringing Medusa to Marseille, one of Europe’s leading digital hubs, we are laying the foundation for a project that will transform communications between Europe and Africa,” said Norman Albi, CEO of AFR-IX Telecom. “Medusa will act as a driver of economic growth and a catalyst for knowledge exchange across the Mediterranean.”
The project, though privately led, has secured €38.3 million in public funding from the European Union’s Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), reflecting its strategic importance to regional digital infrastructure. Among Medusa’s key partners is Tunisie Telecom, which has agreed to operate a dedicated 20 Tbps link between Bizerte and Marseille, reinforcing the network’s collaborative and cross-border nature.
Co-funded by AFR-IX Telecom, Orange, and the European Union, the Medusa system represents a landmark step toward enhanced connectivity, economic integration, and digital resilience for Europe, North Africa, and beyond.
