2Africa Subsea Cable Reaches Crete, Marking a Major Milestone for Global Connectivity

2Africa Subsea Cable Reaches Crete, Marking a Major Milestone for Global Connectivity

(IN BRIEF) Vodafone Greece’s cable landing station at Tympaki, Crete, has received the 2Africa subsea cable, the world’s largest cable system. The system promises to enhance internet speed and reliability in Greece, while the broader 2Africa project, launched in 2020, will connect 33 countries across Africa, Europe, and Asia. The project involves major global telecom partners and is expected to revolutionize connectivity between these continents. Vodafone’s extensive subsea cable network plays a key role in global data traffic, and the company continues to invest in such infrastructure to improve services worldwide.

(PRESS RELEASE) BERKSHIRE, 15-Feb-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — The 2Africa subsea cable system, the largest of its kind globally, has officially reached Vodafone Greece’s cable landing station at Tympaki, located in the southern part of Crete.

This milestone represents a major leap forward in improving internet access and capacity for Greece. The fibre optic cable used in the project boasts an impressive capacity of up to 180 terabits per second, marking a significant advancement in telecommunications infrastructure. With this new system, customers in Greece are set to experience faster, more reliable internet services, providing a substantial boost to the country’s digital economy.

The 2Africa project, which was launched in March 2020, is designed to dramatically enhance internet connectivity between Africa and the rest of the world. Notably, 2Africa is the first subsea cable system to offer uninterrupted capacity around the African continent. When fully operational, the network will link 33 countries across three continents—Africa, Europe, and Asia—further expanding the reach and availability of internet services in these regions.

This ambitious project is a collaboration among eight international partners: Bayobab, Center3, China Mobile International, Meta, Orange, Telecom Egypt, Vodafone Group, and WIOCC. Alcatel Submarine Networks is responsible for constructing and installing the 45,000-kilometre cable system, with Vodafone acting as the landing partner in Crete.

As a global leader in telecom infrastructure, Vodafone is heavily invested in subsea cables, which carry 99.5% of the world’s international data traffic. Vodafone is involved in 80 subsea cable systems that span across 100 countries, with a total cable length exceeding 1 million kilometres beneath the sea. This extensive network plays a crucial role in maintaining seamless connectivity for Vodafone’s customers.

In addition to its involvement with the 2Africa system, Vodafone recently connected Crete to the India-Europe-Xpress (IEX) subsea cable system from the Tympaki landing station. The IEX system links Mumbai to Europe and further extends eastward to Singapore via the India-Asia-Xpress (IAX) system.

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SOURCE: Vodafone Group