With the support of telecom operator Orange, Morocco, which plans to become a major tech hub in Africa, will benefit from modern networks and socioeconomic opportunities that are expected to reinforce its regional position.

Orange Morocco recently signed a deal with Medusa Submarine Cable System for the construction of a subsea cable that will enhance digital interconnection between Morocco and Europe.

In a release dated January 16, 2023, Hendrik Kasteel (photo, right), CEO of Orange Morocco, explains that the interconnection will reinforce Morocco's position as a digital gateway to Africa while confirming the country's digital sovereignty.

"Thanks to the project, Orange Morocco will contribute to the construction of the first subsea cable to interconnect the main Mediterranean countries, in partnership with Medusa. Specifically, the system will connect the two shores with 16 landing points in countries like Morocco. Under its open innovation policy, Orange Morocco will share the new infrastructure with operators that wish to use it," the release informs.

The cable system will also include segments that will offer up to 24 fiber pairs and a capacity of 20 Tbps per fiber pair. The 8,760 kilometers long cable will be the first and longest submarine cable to connect five Mediterranean countries (Cyprus, Spain, France, Italy, and Portugal) to four countries in the European Union's southern neighborhood (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Egypt) at a total cost of €342 million. The system will be partially operational in Europe by the end of 2024, and in the Eastern Mediterranean region during the first half of 2025.

Orange Morocco also plans to integrate the first African fiber optic backbone, Djoliba, which is the result of the interconnection of more than 20,000 km of Orange Group's terrestrial and subsea infrastructure in West Africa, for a secure end-to-end link between eight countries in the region.

Samira Njoya