The Medusa project has reached an important milestone with the completion of the first stage of the construction and laying activities of the submarine cable system that will connect Europe, North Africa and the Mediterranean islands.

The Project

A few months after the signing (June 2023), the survey activity began, concluded in February 2024 by the ship Urbano Monti. Subsequently, Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN) started construction of the cable, while laying operations involved the ships Sophie Germain and Teliri between 2025 and 2026.

More specifically, the ship Sophie Germain ha operated from August 26th to October 29th, 2025, completing the shore end in Marseille on October 8th, 2025. The Teliri ha cable-laying ship started laying activities on September 25th, 2025, concluding them on January 29th, 2026, completing the shore ends in Bizerte (November 1st, 2025) and Nador (December 16th, 2025).

The numbers

The first stage of Medusa, , which includes the Marseille-Bizerte-Nador , sections, concluded with significant results: about 2,000 km of cable and 6 Branching Units (BU’s) laid. .

The Medusa Cable System is a project that will extend for over 8,700 km, , becoming the longest submarine cable in the Mediterranean Sea and decisively strengthening connectivity.

A strategic infrastructure

Based on 24-pair fiber optic Open Cable technology, , with a minimum capacity of 20 Tb/s per pair of fibres (or “fiber pairs”), , Medusa represents a strategic infrastructure for innovation, international cooperation and the reduction of the digital divide in the Mediterranean.

The completion of the first stage marks a critical milestone for the progress of the project and paves the way for the subsequent steps and phases of system development.