Connecting Europe to Africa, the innovative project orchestrated by Telecom Egypt

The state-owned Telecom Egypt is considered as the historical company of fixed telephony and internet in Egypt. Since 2018, large-scale projects keep being announced by the latter in order to make Egypt, a connected country open to the world. 

A new project that restores the connection between two continents 

At the beginning of March, the operator revealed its new project: connecting Africa to Europe. Called HARP (Hybrid African Ring Path), this new network, operational in 2023, will connect countries on the east and west coasts of the continent, from South Africa to Egypt, with landing points in Portugal, France and Italy.

According to Telecom Egypt CEO Adel Hamed, the new system “will provide seamless connectivity services to the African continent by integrating Telecom Egypt’s current and planned projects to provide end-to-end connectivity solutions. HARP will enable Telecom Egypt’s projects to establish open access points of presence in various new areas in Africa and Europe to serve its enterprise and wholesale customers“.

Fiber optics as a means to success 

In order to achieve this rather crazy feat, the company is using a new hybrid fiber optic system, blending both the company’s undersea infrastructure and land-based buildings. 

This new network will further strengthen the set of technological means already acquired by the company and will support its African and international expansion project, at a time when several African countries are expressing their need for connectivity to support their digital transformation.

Recurring investments to leverage the continent’s connectivity 

Since 2018 already, the company has been multiplying investments in the field of high-speed connectivity via terrestrial and submarine optical fiber alongside international partners or on its own. 

In order to carry out all its projects, the company develops and solidifies strategic partnerships within and beyond the continent’s borders. These include the Cape Town to Cairo fiber optic link in partnership with Liquid Telecom, the acquisition of the MENA Submarine Cable System from Orascom Investment Holding, and the deployment of the 2Africa system alongside Facebook.