Quantum Cable

Quantum Cable CEO Nasos Ktorides (right) with the Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Fabian Picardo

Quantum Cable is a 7,700-kilometre (4,800 mi) subsea ultra high speed fiber-optic cable system connecting the Middle East to Europe via the Mediterranean Sea.[1] It connects Cyprus, Greece, Israel, Italy, France and Spain.[5][1][2] Cable terminal point will be in Bilbao, Spain, where is expected to be connected with proposed transatlantic MAREA cable.[9]

The Quantum Cable cable system deploys transmission technology at an ultra-fast broadband speed of 160 Tbit/s (terabits per second), equivalent to the MAREA cable.[2] That capacity is equivalent to streaming 80 million HD video conference calls at the same time.[5] With that speed 60 percent of the world's internet traffic could be handled at peak time.[5][9] It is expected that cable will have 40 times more capacity than average capacity of existing internet cables on the Mediterranean.[9][5][1] Therefore, it will support high speed for Data centers, Cloud providers and Online services.[2][9]

During Greece-Cyprus-Israel trilateral summit on 15. June 2017. Greek Digital Policy Minister, Cyprus Transport and Communication Minister and Israeli official responsible for digital policy issues discussed strategic plan about inclusion fiber optic cables in EuroAsia Interconnector.[12][13][14][15] They pointed out that EuroAsia Interconnector together with cable is strategically important for Greece, upgrading her status into regional electricity and telecom hub.[15] The Prime Ministers of Greece Alexis Tsipras, Israel Benjamin Netanyahu and the President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades, in the Greek city of Thessaloniki on 15. June 2017, agreed to support deployment of new fiber optic undersea cable, as a critical link between Europe, the Middle East and Asia.[16]

Route of Quantum Cable

On May 8, 2018. in Nicosia it took place fourth Cyprus-Israel-Greece tripartite meeting.[17][18][19][20] Prime Ministers of Greece Alexis Tsipras, Israel Benjamin Netanyahu and the President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades reconfirmed their support to timely implementation of EuroAsia Interconnector and Quantum Cable, accompanying fiber optic cable.[19][18][17] Chief Minister of Gibraltar Fabian Picardo in meeting with CEO Quantum Cable Nasos Ktorides expressed support for Quantum Cable and interest in the creation of cable landing station in Gibraltar.[21][22][23][24]

The Quantum Cable will be laid at depths of 3,000 meters at same time and in parallel with the 2,000 MW EuroAsia Interconnector.[2][25] Former Cyprus Foreign Minister (1997—2003, 2013—1 March 2018) and head of the European Parliament Foreign Affairs Working group, Ioannis Kasoulides, has joined the Quantum Cable on March 29, 2018 as Chairman of the Strategic Council.[26] The former Cyprus Minister of Transport, Communications and Works Marios Demetriades also joined Strategic Council of Quantum Cable.[27][28]

Quantum Cable will minimize the dependence of Mediterranean and Middle Eastern countries from the PoPs of West and Central Europe. The capacity of the cable will accelerate deployment of fast mobile and fixed networks. Providing fast connectivity will maximize reliability of the existing European and Middle Eastern internet backbone network. Quantum Cable will also facilitate installation and hosting of data centers.[2]

By connecting major carrier-neutral PoPs in Cyprus, Greece, Israel, Italy, France and Spain, the Quantum Cable clients can choose their preferred back-haul providers available in these PoPs or in cable landing stations in the Middle East, North Africa and Europe.[10]

The cost of the project is estimated at US$200 million and will be undertaken by Quantum Cable.[1][5] It is scheduled to go into service in October 2020.[9]

1. Bilbao, Spain
2. Marseille, France
3. Bari, Italy
4. Agios Dimitrios, Greece
5. Heraklion, Greece
6. Kofinou, Cyprus
7. Hadera, Israel

• MAREA
• AAE-1